Stellaluna

Janell Cannon's endearing and beautifully illustrated 1993 picture book--about a young fruit bat separated from her mother after an owl attack--is brought to the little screen in this animated Scholastic production. Landing in a bird's nest where the mother bird agrees to take Stellaluna under her wing "provided she behaves like a good bird should," Stellaluna finds that she must eat bugs (yeech), is not allowed to hang upside-down, and should sleep at night (right when she likes to fly). Eventually, the birds and the fruit bat discover and learn to appreciate what makes them "so different, and yet so alike." New characters, including an aspiring superhero jumping spider and two toucans with a penchant for makeovers, provide some comic relief. And, since this isn't old-school Disney, mother and daughter are even reunited by program's end. Unfortunately, fans of the book will find the standard animation here to be completely unrepresentative of Cannon's soft and delicate images. The excellent DVD extras include featurettes on bats and drawing Stellaluna, a sing-along option, and printable coloring pages and activities. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)