The Beatrix Potter Collection: Tale of Peter Rabbit & Friends / Tale of Pigling Bland & Other Stories / Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle & Mr. Jeremy Fisher & Other Stories [DVD]

Description

Product Description Beatrix Potter Collection (DVD)"Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter." So begins the first of Beatrix Potter's Original Peter Rabbit TalesTM, which have been translated into 35 languages and have achieved international success in more than 117 countries worldwide. The beautiful illustrations are magically brought to life in this captivating series, including a live action introduction featuring Niamh Cusack as Beatrix Potter, specially tailored for each story. Each episode invites us to join the exciting adventures of a beloved group of characters, including Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle- Duck and of course, Peter Rabbit!]]> .com Beatrix Potter takes her rightful place alongside Walt Disney and the Brothers Grimm as a storyteller for children of all ages, as this delightful boxed set demonstrates. The collection includes nine 30-minute animated tales (tails?) of Peter Rabbit and crew, originally--and lovingly--produced for the BBC. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit, our dear incorrigible friend Peter, along with siblings Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, is left alone for the day by their mum, who tells them to go have fun but to stay away from the garden of mean Mr. McGregor ("Your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor"). Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail mind their mum, but Peter, of course, is off on a grand adventure, and quicker than you can say "camomile tea," he gets the fright of his life, and a rather upset tummy to boot. Yet Potter's morality tales are not didactic, and the misbehavior is all too human (or lapine). Other beloved Potter characters captured in this set include Tom Kitten, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Samuel Whiskers, and Pigling Bland. All will make fast friends with young first-time viewers as well as bring sweet memories to adults who haven't read the original books in years. Potter is known as much for her delicate artwork and beautiful watercolors in her books as for the yarns themselves, and The Beatrix Potter Collection preserves and gives homage to her artistic skill. While the animation isn't technically zippy, it's perfectly suited to Potter's art and the stories themselves, which are allowed to unfold gently, without quick-cut editing or elbow-in-the-ribs setups. Also delightful is the music, unhurried and sweetly melodic. Settle in with some nice currant buns and enjoy. --A.T. Hurley