Call it the Bluey effect. Producers of children’s TV are finding that short-form content under 10 minutes engages today’s kids more effectively than half-hour programs. While this goes back to Looney Tunes and early talkies, now it’s a trend faithful storytellers are chasing too.
Enter Minno, headed up by former Amazon executive Erick Goss. Over seven years, this streamer has focused squarely on young kids, smartly producing a dozen or so series of shorts in addition to licensing some tried-and-true Christian animated shows, such as VeggieTales.
Recently, Minno rolled out The Chosen Adventures, the highly anticipated kids take on The Chosen. Getting it soon after Prime Video showed that Minno aims to be a real option for families.
So what does Minno have, and is it a good value for Christian families? Let’s dive in.
Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids (50 episodes, 6 min. each)
Framing the narrative of Scripture in a way kids can grasp, Minno’s Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids -- a Bible storybook edited by VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer -- has been their most notable project since inception. Every story is told briskly, with kid characters “interrupting” the narrator to ask natural questions that arise with the sometimes-difficult events depicted.
That format carries through in animated video shorts produced by Robert Fernandez and Herald Entertainment. My kids (currently ages 4 and 6) really enjoy how these shorts play out as a conversation between children and teachers, in stories that refuse to dumb down the drama of Scripture.
Young David (5 episodes, 6 min. each)
With the animated feature film David in theaters, families can supplement with these Young David shorts (also available on the Angel app). As voiced by Brandon Engman, David has boundless energy and zeal for life as he defends his sheep against predators and sings to God in the rugged hills surrounding Bethlehem.
With storytelling kids love, Young David even has a few plot points that carry over into the feature film.
Numberblocks (60 episodes, 5 min. each)
Along with adding Gospel-inspired series The Chosen Adventures, Minno is finally licensing a few shows that educate kids beyond topics of values and religion.
Popular BBC animated short series Numberblocks teaches math concepts with zany short vignettes and catchy songs. With personality-based conflicts grounded in innocent humor and well-conceived plots, kids will watch this on repeat.
Micah! (40 episodes, 5-10 min. each)
A rare Minno show geared to kids older than age 5, this cartoon hails from Canadian animator Girish Manuel, who started Micah’s Super Vlog over a decade ago. Akin to Recess or Hey Arnold, it introduces a group of quirky yet realistic kid friends whose school-based antics usually go awry. More than a Cartoon Network clone, Micah’s mishaps have a purpose.
What else will grade-schoolers find on Minno? There’s Ryan Defrates, a fun spy dramedy riffing quite a lot from Kim Possible. And they do have 90’s favorites McGee and Me and The Last Chance Detectives –- clever stories that stand up to the production values of Nickelodeon (at least, at the time).
Suni the Super Unicorn (18 episodes, 3 min. each)
Of any Minno series for the sippy-cup set, energetic and imaginative Suni shares the most DNA with wildly popular Bluey -- though the Disney-distributed series is often imitated but never quite equaled.
Starting with everyday situations like snack time or a pool party, Suni amps up the drama with a dose of imagined super powers, in short scenarios that resolve quickly.
Guillermo & Will (10 episodes, 6 min. each)
Knowing the team behind it put remarkable heart and purpose into this program, I sat down with my four-year-old girl to watch this show, which aims to teach God's love in English and Spanish. My daughter even has a friend or two who is primarily Spanish-speaking, so it’s relevant to us.
The creator of the show is Donna Kimball, who received a 2024 Emmy nomination for Jim Henson Company's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. She is the puppeteer and voice of Will, with fellow Henson alum Dan Garza performing Guillermo.
The production values are high (it was shot in the Family Theater Productions studio in Hollywood), the characters are colorful, and my daughter did learn a bit of Spanish, thanks to repetition. It's got a recognizable Henson-inspired style, without being overstimulating for preschoolers.
But the core bilingual language lessons get across well with excellent performances and some gentle humor.
Christian Worship Shorts (varied lengths)
You’ll find a dozen or so series on Minno that introduce kids to Sunday school standards and modern evangelical praise songs, some even with dance tutorials. The most engaging ones hail from Listener Kids, and, like several shows on Minno, can also be found on YouTube.
The Verdict on Minno
Minno has assembled a unique slate of shows geared to Christian families with 2- to 11-year-olds. Since inception, Minno has added a show once every quarter or six months. For families that avoid YouTube (always monitor it, parents) or are wary of PBS Kids, this streamer could work.
Hopefully, one day Minno will add additional titles, such as Superbook, that has 68 episodes over five seasons of top-notch Bible storytelling. Likely due to contracts and rights issues, it's missing a set of recent VeggieTales episodes.
Minno has a fraction of the total hours of programming on Disney+ (but without the content concerns), and prices its service at $10.99 per month (or $69.99 for a year).
Christian-based streaming service Minno offers a week-long free trial.
Image: Minno
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith and culture for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.
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