Kali the Little Vampire

This final entry in Portuguese animator Regina Pessoa's three-part series about childhood (including 1999's A Noite and 2005's Tragic Story with Happy Ending) is an eerie, melancholy tale presented with a limited color palette of white, gray, and sepia (with startling crimson added for effect). Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer narrates, voicing an older version of the titular creature of darkness, who recounts his past (“I longed to be like other children and play in the light.”). Kali is always lurking in the gloom, watching youngsters play and later collecting leftover bits of their toys and games in an effort to share in some of the fun. While “every night, I hoped that next morning would be different,” the other kids obviously fear Kali…until the day he comes to the rescue. Artsy and ethereal, this 2013 ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Video selection includes a bonus “making-of” interview with writer-director Pessoa (who says she named Kali for the Hindu goddess). Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)