Religions of the World: Our World Faiths Animated

Originally airing on the BBC, this compilation of ten 15-minute animated films relates stories illustrating key concepts from the world's major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam (as well as Sikhism and Sufism), Hinduism and Confucianism. Suggested for ages 5-adult, one of the series' aims--according to the DVD cover--is "teaching tolerance to children," which accounts for the variety of animated presentations (cell, clay, puppet, etc.), but not always for the tone and content of the individual films, some of which feature violence ranging from fisticuffs to decapitation (of course, many would argue that when it comes to "tolerance," world religions rate no more than a "C" grade in any case). For older children, however, Religions of the World offers a solid introduction to the stories of Moses, Jesus, Mohammed (who is not depicted onscreen, in keeping with tradition), Buddha, Krishna, and Confucius, with the added benefit that watching the programs together allows viewers to compare and contrast individual faiths while tracing the spiritual threads (such as compassion for the poor) common to many. Unfortunately, the DVD transfer is sub-par, with background digital artifacts obviously present (especially in darker scenes). Still, given the scope of the production, and the low price, consider this a strong optional purchase. Aud: I, J, H, P. (R. Pitman)