By Theo Hollingsworth
We’re proud to share a powerful new initiative coming out of KOOLabs Animation Academy: Read Like A King — a children’s animated video series designed to inspire a love of reading while uplifting the voices of Black youth.
Produced entirely in-house at Kingmakers of Oakland, the pilot episode, Jonathan and His Mommy, showcases what’s possible when creativity, education, and student leadership converge. Everything — from filming to voice acting to animation — was completed right here at our KOOLabs studio.
Even more exciting: our talented student animators Amir and Christean played a key role in bringing this story to life. Under professional mentorship, they helped direct the voice acting of our host, Big E (yes, that Big E — the WWE Champion turned literacy advocate!). They also storyboarded the visuals, animated key scenes, edited the final cut, and worked hands-on with audio to pull it all together.
Read Like A King centers around Big E reading powerful stories to young viewers, sparking conversations about imagination, identity, and love for literature. The series is joyful, affirming, and beautifully produced — made for kids, by kids, with the guidance of professional Black creatives.
👇🏾 Watch the pilot episode below:
📺 Jonathan and His Mommy –
