The Radical Child

Based on the Christmas novelette of the same name by Charles Tazewell and the first and only Disney animated project directed by Don Bluth before he went rogue (having worked small parts on some of the studio’s prior animated features), the short film focuses on a Galilean boy who seeks to sell the eponymous donkey, past his prime. However, no one except a tanner takes interest, though the boy eventually sells him to a notable historical and religious figure. I found it enjoyable and tender, with a beautiful titular theme song and solid voice performances that don’t seem out of place in the Israeli setting.