Karlsson on the Roof

Astrid Lindgren's tale of a lonely Swedish lad who is befriended by a tubby, propeller-clad flying character is universally revered as one of the best children's books ever written. This animated adaptation attempts to highlight some of the book's heartwarming pleasures and mostly succeeds. The quality of animation, though, sadly lacks the glow of, say, Belleville Rendez-vous, and the titular character, too, is nowhere near as enchanting as Raymond Briggs' similarly styled Snowman. But it passes time agreeably enough.