The Kingdom Chums: Little David's Adventure facts for kids

The Kingdom Chums: Little David's Adventure is a special animated TV show from 1986. It was also known as Kingdom Chums on screen. This show tells a story inspired by the famous Bible tale of David and Goliath. It first aired on the ABC network in the United States.

In the special, three kids from the real world go on an amazing journey. They are transported into the world of the Bible. This happens with the help of three magical stuffed animals. One of these animals is a raccoon named David. He becomes like the David from the Bible story. He then faces off against a giant bull named Goliath.

Little David's Adventure was created by Squire Rushnell. He was in charge of children's shows at ABC. The special mixed live-action scenes with animated parts. It was made by ABC and DIC Animation City. It first showed on November 28, 1986. Later, a video sequel called Original Top Ten came out in 1990. It later aired on TV as part of the ABC Weekend Special series.

What Happens in the Story

The story begins with a boy named Peter, his sister Mary Ann, and their friend Sauli. They all go to the All Nations School. One day, some bullies bother Sauli and throw away his yarmulke (a small cap worn by Jewish people). While trying to get it back, Sauli accidentally knocks over a box. Mary Ann was keeping her pet bird in this box. Sauli worries he has hurt the bird.

That night, a strange, bright group of stars appears outside their window. Peter checks his computer, but it doesn't show this star pattern. Mary Ann looks at the computer screen herself. She uses a pen to make the word "LOVE" appear on the screen. Soon, the bright lights come into their room. They bring Mary Ann's stuffed toys to life! These toys are Little David, the Raccoon of Courage; Christopher, the Lion of Love; and Magical Mose, the Tiger of Joy. As soon as the toys appear on the computer screen, the children are zapped into the computer too.

Peter, Mary Ann, and Sauli turn into animated characters. The animals introduce themselves as the Kingdom Chums. A magical light beam, called the "Love Light," guides them. The children travel to ancient Israel with David, one of the Chums. The raccoon acts out the story of his Bible namesake. He joins a battle with his fellow Israelites. King Saul, who looks like a lion in the show, challenges David to fight the giant warthog, Goliath.

David gets his slingshot ready with some stones. He faces the very tall Philistine enemy. He throws one of the stones, and it hits Goliath's forehead. The giant falls to the ground. Peter, Sauli, and Mary Ann are about to cheer for David's win. But then, David's brothers suddenly chase after them. A rainbow carries the group back to Christopher and Mose. They then return the children to where they started.

The children realize that only one minute has passed in the real world since their adventure began. Mary Ann is happy to see her bird is alive, thanks to her faith and her toys. Sauli heads to his apartment for dinner. He feels brave enough to face his bullies with his own faith and overcome them.

Who Are the Voices?

Other Voices

• Joey Cramer - Osborne

How the Show Was Made

Squire Rushnell based the Kingdom Chums special on the Bible story of David and Goliath.

Kingdom Chums: Little David's Adventure was the idea of Squire Rushnell. He was the vice-president of children's programming at the ABC network. In the early 1980s, Rushnell wrote a book version of the special. It took him about six years to create. He even wrote it himself after other writers couldn't get it right.

Rushnell was inspired by Disney animated movies like Robin Hood (1973). He designed the All Nations School after the United Nations International School in New York City. He based two of the animal characters on Bible figures. Christopher was based on Jesus, and Magical Mose on Moses. He also made the ending of the David and Goliath story less violent than the original Bible version.

The special included both live-action parts and animated parts. The animation was done by DIC Animation City. The animation director, Bernard Deyriès, had also worked on Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer. The songs for the show were written by Joe Raposo, who also wrote songs for Sesame Street. Some of the songs included "Greatest Stories of All," "Child of God," and "Your Love Makes Me Strong."

What Came Next

After Kingdom Chums first aired, ABC thought about making more specials and even a regular TV series. One idea was a special about a bear named Princess Essie, based on the Bible story of Esther. Another idea was based on the New Testament.

Instead of a new series, Little David's Adventure was followed by a video sequel in 1990. It was called Original Top Ten. A new animation team worked on this video. This time, there were no live-action parts. A new character named Osborne replaced Sauli. Some other character names were also changed. Original Top Ten later aired on TV in April 1992, and again in April 1993. It was part of the ABC Weekend Specials show.

Voices in the Sequel

• Debby Boone as Essie
• Marilyn McCoo as Little Mama Miriam
• Tony Orlando as Christopher
• Billy Preston as Marvelous Mose
• Frankie Valli as Little David
• Mayim Bialik as Petey
• Scott Menville as Osborne
• Marne Patterson as Annie