The Velveteen Rabbit

The claymation geniuses at Billy Budd Films have updated their 1985 version of Margery Sharp's children's classic and the results are wondrous indeed. Narrated by Jennifer Shapiro, the familiar boy-and-his-bunny story revolves around the titular character's Pinocchio-like dreams of becoming “real.” Toy Story fans will recognize The Velveteen Rabbit's influence during the early scenes in which a friendly rocking horse talks about toy rivalry (the mechanical toys find the rabbit “boring” as it has “no moving parts,” but the bunny endures long after the fancy cars break). Told that a child's love can make him real, the bunny's hopes rise when he becomes the boy's nighttime sleeping companion and daytime sharer of fantasy games (such as “flying” in a wheelbarrow during one beautifully-rendered scene)…until a terrible illness threatens both the boy and the rabbit. Presented as an entirely secular story, The Velveteen Rabbit is also suitable for use in religious settings with its overriding Christian themes of love and resurrection. Highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)