Storyteller Jess Hall has created an entertainment platform that offers a variety of children’s audio books, e-books, and videos that parents won’t have to police for inappropriate content.

Hall explained in a 2023 YouTube interview that his interest in entertainment began when he was a child in middle school. He thought at the time how the gospel, if shared through the lens of storytelling, could reach a lot of people and perhaps be used to “change the culture.”

Later on, Hall followed his dream by earning an undergraduate degree in film, and he then pursued a Masters degree in creative writing at Oxford University in England. “My goal was always to plant seeds with stories,” he said. “The depravity in the mainstream media is creating a giant vacuum, and really amplifying the need for someone to come along and offer stories that resonate with people by sharing the values this nation was founded on, and with which the majority of Americans agree.”

Hall said he reviewed a list of so-called “children’s books” that were coming out, and “every single one had something to do with anxiety, or a really troubled past, or sexual orientation themes.” He explained that these were “picture” books, all with an agenda.

Hall decided to use his Christian faith and his education to fill the overarching need he saw for wholesome children’s entertainment free of political agendas. “I think telling beautiful stories can have a huge impact by just being true and reflecting God’s handiwork.” He explained that he was discouraged by the fact that in order to work in Hollywood, he would have had to compromise his values, and so he turned to publishing rather than film work.

“Hollywood’s an echo chamber of companies and employees that are disconnected from the rest of America and what they are producing reflects that,” he said.

Hall said Sherwood is growing a huge catalog of entertainment in the form of e-books, audio books, and videos, including “classics and content we are creating ourselves.” Kids TV shows such as “early Mighty Mouse or early Superman” can be found on Sherwood, as well as Pilgrim’s Progress or E. Nesbit books. Animated art accompanies many of the books, creating a kind of “read-along” product with images that reflect what’s going on in the story. Hall calls this “low-stimulation” entertainment, as opposed to many of the hectic-paced cartoon products served up to kids today.

Hall believes homeschool families will find a helpful library of books for classwork, as well as video entertainment their kids can watch on Saturday mornings. The platform doesn’t have ads or “woke” agendas, but does require a subscription fee based on what parents can afford.

He hopes to acquire creative content partners with similar values to his own who want an outlet for stories that might be rejected by woke producers and publishers. “I’m here to bridge the gap,” he says, “and introduce the audience to these creatives.”

Sherwood is admittedly not a “Christian” platform but a platform “powered by Christians who are trying to offer an alternative to Disney in the secular space.” Hall explains: “We judge the quality of the content rather than the creators, and we’re going to judge its usefulness in educating and training young minds.”

After researching Sherwood through its website, YouTube videos, and more, this reviewer believes the platform could be a valuable resource not only for homeschooling parents, but for all those desperate to find woke-free entertainment for their children. Interested parties can obtain a 7-day free trial before committing to a subscription.

Recently, The Epoch Times published an article very favorable to Sherwood. The writer quoted Hall as saying: “Ultimately, we want to tell timeless stories to kids, helping them grow up to be the leaders we want shaping the culture. The stories that kids believe today will shape the culture of tomorrow. The stakes are high.” We couldn’t agree more.

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