A new Bible-based animated series about David as a boy will teach children that the same God who guided the future King of Israel each day is guiding them, too, says an executive producer.
The five-part series launched in November and is scheduled to have one episode released each month leading up to Easter. It can be viewed on Minno and Angel Studios platforms.
Erick Goss, an executive producer and the CEO of Minno, told Christian Headlines each episode will spotlight a biblical trait for which David was known. The first episode, for example, was called “Warrior.” The themes of the four other episodes are: King, Shepherd, Poet and Worshiper.
The David in the series is roughly the same age as the kids in the audience, Goss noted, adding that the series’ character learns that God is “present with me in any adversity that I'm in.” David learns to be courageous, Goss said.
“And I think for kids to be able to see that really can stimulate their imagination, because oftentimes with children, we're teaching them facts about the Bible … but oftentimes, we don't really talk about what does it mean for them to experience God on a daily basis and know that He's present with them in their lives,” Goss told Christian Headlines. “And so I think a lot of people will walk away from these episodes -- parents and kids -- with a sense of hope that I have a God that actually is present with me no matter what's happening in my life.”
The series is a prequel to the full-length animated movie David, scheduled to be released in 2025 in theaters.
Books based on each episode are available on Minno’s website.
The animation, Goss said, is “world-class.”
“What's been so exciting for us is we're actually seeing mainstream animation periodicals give us really great coverage on what they're seeing, they just look at it as a high-quality product,” he said. “... What we wanted to do was really kind of raise the bar in regards to what could be expected.”
The filmmakers consulted with rabbis to ensure that the Jewish traditions depicted on screen were accurate.
The series, Goss said, shows David walking with God and crediting God for every good thing in his life.
“And I think for kids to actually catch a glimpse of that, through media, and to recognize that's true for them, too, just like it was true for David, could be really transformational. And it also creates the opportunity for parents to have conversations with their children about: What does it mean for us as a family to know that God is participating in what we're doing as a family?”
Photo Courtesy: Minno/Angel
Video Courtesy: Minno - Bible Stories for Kids via YouTube
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.