The Adventures of Robin Hood

As retold by Philip Edwards, this iconographic-animated adaptation of his 2017 picture book refashions Howard Pyle’s 1883 child-friendly version of tales centered on the infamous Robin of Locksley. Narrated by Michael Page, and featuring sweeping gold and green English countryside landscapes by illustrator Adam Horsepool, The Adventures of Robin Hood tells familiar stories about master archer and thief Robin and his crew of Sherwood Forest outlaws, who famously stole from the rich to give to the poor. The tale of the origin of Robin’s descent into the wrong side of "the law" by shooting the king’s deer for sport and his subsequent €200 bounty and rivalry with the embarrassed Sheriff of Nottingham is presented, along with his first skirmish with later friend Little John, and his bid for the affections of Maid Marian. Unfortunately, the featureless, ill-defined faces here are distractingly banal, but while this is unlikely to impress the hyperkinetic Cartoon Network set, it does offer an introduction to a classic. A strong optional purchase. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)