The Adventures of Robin Hood

Gr 2–5—This sampling of Howard Pyle's beloved Robin Hood adventures includes Robin and Little John's river confrontation, the hapless Sheriff of Nottingham's archery contest, the greedy sheriff and the butcher, and the assassin Guy of Gisborne. Narrator Michael Page brings clarity with his crisp British accent to the timeless legends, but the poor production quality outweighs the effort. Adam Horsepool's blurry, quasi-impressionistic illustrations, the clunky animation, and the intrusive background music result in a feeling of being in and out of focus. There is also a disconnect between the cartoonish depiction of the heroic Robin Hood and the high-level vocabulary aimed at an older audience: "knavish," "beguile," "impasse." While the message is clearly, "Be brave and always stand for what is right," viewers deserve a better introduction to classic literature.