Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (G)

A compilation of Pooh stories, this darling movie explores the holiday festivities during Fall and Winter. Since Tigger, Pooh, and Piglet do not know the day of the year, they ask Rabbit, who consults his calendar. Meanwhile, his calendar has been blown out of order, and he announces that winter will not come at all this year. You can imagine what happens: big surprises all around when the snow comes. In another segment, Christmastime has arrived, and the friends decorate the tree, recounting a story of a young bird that Rabbit had saved. He loved her to the point of keeping her from flying South. Encouraged by her friends, Kessie does fly South, disappointing Rabbit. But her return and her correspondence cheer him tremendously. Ice skating, searching for turkeys, baking pies, making wishes and warm-water bottles -- not to mention the eating of honey -- are all highlights of this movie. Ah, childhood!

Classic, in every sense of the word. The characters of these stories literally leap from the pages of A.A. Milne's books, successfully creating a bridge between two media. The lovely thing about the movie medium is that we can hear Pooh's thoughtful voice, and Piglet saying, "Oh, d-d-d-ear." Tigger (voiced by Paul Winchell) is bouncy and lovingly animated, while Gopher's distinct whistle makes us smile.

This collection will get viewers in the holiday mood -- and in the mood for bed -- since it does maintain the story-time feeling. What a good opportunity for parents to bring books to children's attention, while perhaps peppering the tale-telling with voices that the characters inspire.