Poppety in the Fall

One of a quartet of seasonally-based animated shorts featuring forest animals and an abandoned boy named Léon who has been adopted by bears, Poppety in the Fall focuses on the titular hedgehog, who narrates a strange tale about a blight that settles over the kingdom after the storyteller Bonifacio makes the mistake of stealing a unicorn's horn, thereby banishing all stories from the land (and his head is transformed into that of a wolf). The main plot thread involves a journey to the belly of the earth to rectify the situation and—in the process—save the life of the elderly king who is dying of boredom in the absence of stories. Along the way, Poppety is forced to admit his love for a female friend; a sensitive elephant is persuaded to adopt an orphaned fish; and the truth is finally revealed about Léon's real family. The stop-motion animation in this French-Canadian production from Pierre-Luc Granjon and Antoine Lanciaux is attractive, and it certainly deserves credit for grappling with the subjects of death, parenthood, and the importance of imagination. But many youngsters will likely find it too strange to relate to. The other titles in the series are: Bonifacio in Summertime, Leon in Wintertime and Molly in Springtime (series price: $399). Presented in both French and English versions, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: E, P. (F. Swietek)