Shawn Amos’ Cookies & Milk is headed to the small screen, Deadline reports.
Disney is developing an animated show based on Amos’ children’s book, which is scheduled for publication by Little, Brown on May 17. The book, illustrated by Robert Paul Jr., follows Ellis, an 11-year-old boy who helps his father open a chocolate chip cookie store in 1976. A critic for Kirkus praised the book as “full of heart and humor” and called it “a wholesome story that bridges generations.”
The book was inspired by Amos’ own childhood. His father, Wally Amos, is the founder of Famous Amos, the cookie brand launched in the 1970s.
Executive producers of the series include Shawn Amos and actor Laurence Fishburne (Apocalypse Now, The Matrix).
“This humorous and heartwarming exploration of summer fun and friendship seen through the eyes of a young Black boy being raised by his divorced father is full of joy, self-discovery and a whole lot of unconditional love,” Fishburne and fellow executive producer Helen Sugland said in a statement.
Amos, a blues musician who performs under the name The Reverend Shawn Amos, told Deadline that he feels the project is in “good hands.”
“What a dream to see this Black kid from Hollywood become a Disney character,” he said. “I wrote Cookies & Milk for my son to help him understand his family, his culture, and himself. I hope kids of all colors will see something of their own selves in Ellis.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
