The Gruffalo's Child is released next Monday the 13th January on DVD and Blu Ray. It is, in my humble opinion, even more stunning than the animation of the prequel - The Gruffalo. Lara was too young to appreciate the first Gruffalo animation but she has been totally entranced by the magic of the Gruffalo's Child.
The Gruffalo's Child is a rhyming, wintery tale of the exploits of the little Gruffalo who, against her father's wishes, goes in search of the Big Bad Mouse who, in the prequel, built up quite a reputation. Her travels take her through the snowy woods and into contact with many familiar faces from the first story although, I think that my daughter's fascination shows that you don't HAVE to have an intimate knowledge of the first story to appreciate this DVD.
Some of the most amazing visual elements of the Gruffalo's Child are in the icy and snowy scenes. I am in awe of anyone who can animate a snow-flake or an icicle with such skill and the quality of the animation really adds to the experience when you watch it. I have always found the story and text behind the book of the Gruffalo's Child to be a little disappointing compared to the original, but the animation definitely makes up for this.
The animation is so enchanting that my 2.5 year old gets carried away and shouts at the television every time the Gruffalo's Child is approaching a new animal in the woods. In fact, I think she finds it a little haunting... which, after all, is the point of the story.You can pre-order the DVD from amazon.
