| Maisy, the epony-mouse from Lucy Cousins' hugely popular books, has been brought to the small screen in a series of beautifully produced animated tales now collected together on video. Each episode focuses on a central theme such as "Bedtime" or "Birthday", and features Maisy's band of friends: Tallulah the effervescent chick, Eddie the elephant, Cyril the Squirrel, and the stomach-obsessed crocodile Charley. The animation reproduces the bright, block colours of the books, but adds a new dimension of playful characterisation and sound effects. The characters' voices are very much in the Teletubbies and Pingu mode, offering few discernible words but perfectly evoking the individual characters and appealing to very young children. Neil Morrissey's voice-over offers a gentle, questioning cue for Maisy and her friends' activities, and further brings out the stories' educational emphasis. The Maisy videos combine simple presentation with charming characterisation to great effect and each tale is constructed with an underlying intelligence and humour that repays repeat viewings. For those in occasional need of a Teletubby-free zone, these are the perfect videos for pre-school children. In Animal Stories Maisy meets all the animals on the farm, rounds up some sheep with Tallulah, helps Eddy wash away his fleas and shares her picnic with some friends from the forest. Ginger cat has kittens in "Meow", while "Nest" sees Maisy help a bird prepare for the arrival of her chicks. In "Boat" Maisy meets a seagull, some fish, a dolphin and an octopus, and a whale gives her a helping hand in reaching the shore when the wind dies down. --Steve Napleton |
