The Gruffalo's Child

As anyone familiar with the new spate of Pixar productions - is there anyone who isn't? - would know by now, animation is not just the domain of impressionable toddlers and youngsters. Nor is it exclusively treated any longer as a schedule-filler churned out in third-world production houses. Its crossover appeal is not just an acknowledgement that many adults watch these shows with their children, but that the intelligence, curiosity and interests of children demand more than generic Scooby-Doo clones. Take The Gruffalo's Child, a gorgeous, 26-minute animation loosely based on writer Julia Donaldson's and illustrator Axel Scheffler's bestseller. In this version, the Gruffalo's child defies its father's warnings and goes out one night in search of the fabled mouse, an apparently ferocious creature that will do it great harm. Gruffalo meets an array of animals, some cute, some spooky, some just plain weird. Cold, tired, hungry and frightened, it finally meets the mouse, which isn't what the Gruffalo imagined. Among the A-list talents voicing the characters are Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Robbie Coltrane and Shirley Henderson.