Cook review: ‘Boy, Mole, Fox, Horse’ is lovely treat for all kind hearts

There’s a little bit of “Winnie the Pooh” and a smidge of “The Velveteen Rabbit” in this gentle tale with painterly animation.

“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” is a kind of parable about a child trying to find his way. It’s based on the equally enchanting bestseller by author and illustrator Charles Mackesy, who also co-wrote and co-directed this short film that was released on Christmas Eve.

It’s simple, yet surreal. A boy (the voice of Jude Coward Nicoll) is lost on a winter day. He runs into a philosophical, comical mole (with the perfect voice of Tom Hollander.)

The mole mistakes a tree for a cake because, well, the mole thinks about cake all the time, because he loves it so. And it’s obvious the mole doesn’t see very well, either.

My favorite moment – and there are many – happens when the mole asks the boy “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Kind,” the boy answers.

My heart melted. And then … “Nothing beats kindness,” says the horse. “It sits quietly beyond all things.”

I left out how the horse joins the travelers, and how the fox (voice of Idris Elba), who has been hurt in a trap, wants to journey with them but is too scared to become a real part of the group. You’ll have to see for yourself how all kinds of lessons are learned by all four members of the ensemble.

Here’s what I hope: That families will watch this with their children, and that examples of kindness will resonate with the younger viewers, who will apply those to their lives.

Because this is a streaming movie, I also hope that adults with gentle hearts, who never would set foot in a theater to watch a so-called “children’s movie,” will quietly embrace this beautiful film.  

Rated: G, with nothing offensive for any audience.

4 stars

Running time: 32 minutes.

Streaming on Apple TV+