I hated VeggieTales. When WoW put “His Cheeseburger” on its 1999 release, I was ready to throw the CD out the window.
Fast-forward to 2006. Phil Vischer was a keynote speaker at this fall’s YS Convention in Charlotte, and I was spellbound. Phil is a storyteller, and he tells his own story with humor and a few years of reflection on the rise and fall of Big Idea Productions. Just as he did in person, Phil writes a great story of his own life in Me, Myself and Bob.
Phil shares a great sense throughout the book of how previous events, his family and his view of God influenced the way he lived his life and ran Big Idea in the early years. He describes the technical and creative aspects of the production company, throwing in details of the talking, Bible-story-telling vegetables and creating a read that will touch everyone. Phil engages the reader through the amazing sequence of events that led Phil through the production of the first VeggieTales video and the thought process that was behind the creation of characters, storylines and the beginnings of what would become VeggieTales traditions. And the
Phil’s story pulls you into the highs, lows and brick walls of running an up-and-coming business. He is brutally honest about the shortfalls of the company and where he could have better led his employees, and where he should have let God be more important. He paints a portrait of the unique and influential leaders of Big Idea, and he his honest when placing blame for the downfall of the company on himself. And when Phil’s VeggieTales story is over, it seems his own story is still only just beginning.
You can buy it at Amazon.com
