Cherry Tree: American Stories for America’s Kids

Editors Note: The Minority Report is proud to welcome a guest Op-Ed by Daniel Kessler President of Cherry Tree Media, LLC.

Children’s entertainment has changed since the days of Leave It to Beaver. In the past, books and shows for kids taught values and morals as they entertained. While America’s children laughed, they also learned how to respect their elders, the value of hard work, and pride in their country. Today, however, respect has been replaced with sarcasm, as snarky TV characters routinely talk back to their teachers and parents (when there even are parents), and proudly demonstrate bad behavior. Meanwhile, it’s easier to find a recycling bin than an American flag in a kids’ book nowadays.

Last year, a few Hollywood industry leaders decided to do something about the lack of values in children’s entertainment. Passionate about reintroducing wholesomeness and patriotism to American children, we combined our efforts into creating a brand that we can believe in. We called it Cherry Tree, taking our name from the classic American story of George Washington, the father of this great country, a man who stood for independence and liberty, a man who could not tell a lie.

Cherry Tree stories focus on wholesome values and pride in our nation. Growing up with stories that instilled high moral fiber, we wanted the same for our kids. Together, we pooled our talents to create engaging American stories and characters to educate the next generation.

Many of our stories draw on our own memories and experiences growing up in America. As a child, my parents brought me to work to teach me where money came from—that life lesson helped inspire The Money Tree. I listened in amazement while my grandfather told me about serving in the Navy on the beaches of Normandy—we wove those tales of bravery into our series about rabbit soldiers, Special Hops. Sadly, nowadays these wholesome American themes that we pass on to our children rarely find a way into today’s children’s books or television shows. Until Cherry Tree, no entertainment brand has stood for American values or patriotism.

Just like the revolutionaries who created this great nation, Cherry Tree aims to revolutionize the way these stories are read. All Cherry Tree books are available on the free Cherry Tree iPad and iPhone app; technology is an integral part of growing up and we want today’s kids to use digital, interactive content that promotes the American values that we grew up with.

We here at Cherry Tree want to be more than just books. We aspire to provide a safe haven for children to have fun while learning.  For those who have already checked out the Cherry Tree app, get ready for more content in the coming months. And for those who are just learning about Cherry Tree, welcome. There’s something for everyone.



(Daniel Kessler is the President of Cherry Tree
. You can get the free Cherry Tree app here: bit.ly/xLgXMa
. Cherry Tree ebooks also available via Amazon: http://amzn.to/xgoYyD)