McCartney's animation hits shelves

The stories appeal to kids who love animals.
By NANCY CHURNIN
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
If this music thing doesn't work out, Paul McCartney may have a career in animation.
American audiences will get a look at three family animation gems that the legendary Beatle created over the last 20 years in Miramax's DVD release of "Paul McCartney Animation Collection" this week. The stories are short, the animation exquisite, the music (by McCartney) great, and they're all about frogs.
Frogs fly to town on lily pads in a faithful and affectionate adaptation of David Wiesner's Caldecott-winning book, "Tuesday."
A nicely dressed young bear stumbles on a magical frog gathering in "Rupert and the Frog Song."
A one-legged frog that lost its leg in a run-in with some French fellows saves a squirrel from hunters in "Tropic Island Hum."
In a behind-the-scenes interview, Sir McCartney says he is working on a full-length animation version of "Tropic Island Hum."
While you don't have to be a frog fan to enjoy these low-key stories, they should appeal to kids who love animals. It's clear, in particular, from "Tropic Island Hum," that the longtime vegetarian and animal rights advocate is making a case for an animal refuge.
Voices
Sir McCartney does most of the voices and does them well. Dustin Hoffman brings his persuasive tone to the narrator of Tuesday. The animation, under the direction of Geoff Dunbar, is a visual delight. While Tuesday and Rupert are a mix of hand-drawn and computer-assisted animation, "Tropic Island Hum" is done purely by hand, and it shows in the soft, undulating hues of color.
The DVD extras will probably appeal most to budding animators, as they focus on how the features were made. The one the kids may like best is about Tuesday because it shows the artists not only studying the book illustrations, but also taking notes on real-life turtles and frogs to better draw how they move.
X"Paul McCartney Animation Collection," not rated, is available on DVD and suitable for all ages.