A “Paws”-itive Podcast About Christ for Children

Published: February 6, 2024

A “Paws”-itive Podcast About Christ for Children

The Rev. Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living Ministries’ “PAWS AND TALES” Radio Series Enters the Podcast World

By Carl Kozlowski, Contributing Writer

Christian broadcasting legend Chuck Swindoll has spent the past 45 years bringing a vital message of a loving God to countless people around the globe through his daily radio program “Insight for Living.” The Rev. Swindoll’s ministry also provides the backing for a popular children’s show called “PAWS AND TALES,” with 69 episodes airing on hundreds of stations as it delivered a Lord-loving message on a level that people from age 6 to 60 can easily understand.

The ”Paws” episodes have proven popular for more than two decades since their debut in 2001, but now its creator, Dave Carl, and his creative team are making some bold leaps in bringing them to life in the podcast arena as well. Making the classic episodes available on top platforms such as Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon Prime will enable children everywhere to listen at any time they wish, rather than relying on radio station schedules.

Better yet, the move has inspired Insight for Living to produce four new episodes for the first time in 18 years. Gathering together the actors, writers and musicians who bring “Paws” to life has been a joyous endeavor for Carl, who hopes the podcast outreach will be successful enough to kick the show back into a whole world of new adventures.

“It was actually a listener that triggered the whole thing,” Carl explains, “by sending in a large donation we didn’t even expect and asking for new episodes to be created. We were just delighted that that happened and jumped into it. It was fantastic for me, because I got to pull the band back together, and a lot of the folks were available, interested and excited.”

PAWS AND TALES is set in an imaginary town called Wildwood circa 1910, and is populated by talking animals – bears, beavers, moose, and weasels – who stoke listeners’ imaginations as they embark on their adventures. The most important and lovable character is Paw Paw Chuck, a grizzly who’s the main mentor/grandfather of the town. He teaches positive lessons to a group of five third graders called “The Club,” helping them and all the listeners about how to live like Christ.

Dave Carl was originally inspired by a children’s book called “Paw Paw Chuck’s Big Ideas” that Pastor Swindoll had created just for his grandchildren, with Paw Paw Chuck as the central character. However, once he got the job to bring the show to audio life on radio, he expanded the book’s world with the addition of numerous vibrant characters.

“We built a world where it’s a little bit Andy Griffity, a little bit Mayberry, a little bit LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, plus a little bit of new things,” Carl notes. “We wanted to take the kinds of things that Chuck would teach to adults and deliver them to children in a way that they could receive it. So, it had to be entertaining and fun.”

The 63-year-old Carl honed his ability to communicate the Gospel to children throughout his long career as the Family Ministry pastor at Swindoll’s home-base Stonebriar Church in Frisco, Texas. Married 37 years and a father of three himself, he has memories of recording his now-grown children as characters in some early episodes.

The new episodes will air in the Spring of 2024 and include many of the same actors Carl used 18 years ago, and the same songwriter for the show’s upbeat tunes.

Carl acknowledges, however, that the world is a more troubled place than when the shows first aired in 2001 and feels that the revived PAWS AND TALES will show listeners God’s joyous love of children and us all.

“What keeps many, many Christians away from God is this dark myth that God is mostly angry with us, and it is just such a dark lie,” he says. “If you’ve believed that since you were a child, it’s very difficult to dislodge that belief. But, if we can teach young children that God is crazy about them, their entire future will be very different.”

To listen to episodes and learn more about “Paws and Tales,” visit www.pawsandtales.org or find the series on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Prime and Spotify.