Too bad I couldn’t watch Latte & the Magic Waterstone at a theater with lots of children. It would have been fun to see the audience reaction. That’s one of my favorite things about animated movies. And I  usually have a great time talking to some of the kiddies after the movie. But since my husband and I saw this offering in the privacy of our Cineroom, there was only one thing to do: unleash my inner six-year old.

Here’s what I thought while watching a tiny hedgehog try to help her animal world by looking for the magical waterstone and bringing it back to where it belonged so all the animals could have enough water. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for that lonely little princess.. And I wanted to cheer for her all during the movie, even when she was calling her squirrel friend names and teasing him. It made me happy when she figured out what it means to be a good friend. But the scary parts of the movie were very hard to watch. Then as soon as the dancing bears appeared, I had to laugh at their silly actions. You would too!

Back to my adult self now, here’s a poem Princess Latte & the Magic Waterstone motivated me to write:                 

Princess Latte, a brave hedgehog

with a mission, leaves all agog.

She wants to find the waterstone

and dares to do it all alone.

Tjum the squirrel goes after her.

He knows his friend faces danger.

A stealthy lynx and wolves galore

attempt to stop these two -- and more.

A Crown Prince bear helps our duo.

His father, the King, doesn’t know.

Too busy with bear dance routines.

Did you know that about Bear Kings?

Cute characters and lessons here.

But tiny tots might shed a tear.

Animation and music? Swell.

Good wins out. That’s all I’ll tell.

Well, not quite all. The voice talent here needs special recognition. Ashley Bormancin as Latte, Carter Hastings as Tjum, Daniel Amerman as Lupo the wolf, Doug Fehsenfeld as Bantu (Bear King), and Gunnar Sizemore as Amoroo (Crown Prince Bear) -- all emerge as standouts.  

And, finally, it’s important to remember that Latte & the Magic Waterstone is a movie for youngsters, not adults. Unlike so many animated films, this one makes no effort to appeal to grown-ups. And that was just fine for my inner six-year-old.

(Released by Netflix, not rated by MPAA.)