Surprising soulfulness

Doggy Poo

Central Park Media

Ages 4 and up

DVD: $19.99. Collector’s Series DVD with CD, $24.99

www.doggypooworld.com

No, really. The central character is indeed a self-aware bit of one of nature’s less desirable products, but this tale, based on a classic Korean children’s book by Jung-Saeng Kwon, has a remarkably soulful message: “For everything there is a reason for being.” Tender, though a bit too tearful, in the telling, this painterly claymation production is a visual stunner, with a rural setting, majestic blue skies and starry nights, flowering fields, falling snow and floating dandelion spores. Besides forlorn, baby-faced Poo, the characters include a grumpy dirt pile, various birds, animals, a philosophical leaf and a gentle dandelion plant that gives the Poo his own reason for being: to nourish a new life. Composer Yiruma adds to the unexpected poignancy of the tale (out Tuesday) with his score for piano and strings.

*

The Tales of Beatrix Potter

Anchor Bay Entertainment

Ages 4 and up

VHS: $9.99. DVD: $14.98

www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Beatrix Potter’s beloved watercolor creations are brought to life by dancers from the Royal Ballet, artfully costumed to look just like Jemima Puddle-Duck, Mrs. Tittlemouse, Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and many other characters from Potter’s books. In this British film classic, the lavish English countryside, gardens and woods are the backdrop for the action; scenes of Potter sketching from life and imagining her eccentric animal tales are deftly interwoven throughout.