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A mainstay on the shelves of notable children's literature is Rupert the Bear, a United Kingdom favorite since 1920. In personality, Rupert is similar to enduring children's favorites such as A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, though his adventures verge on the exotic, more like Jean de Brunhoff's Babar. Rupert and the Runaway Dragon is a collection of seven stories by Alfred Bestall, Rupert's creator since 1935. The collection is a moving storybook, of sorts, rather than an animated cartoon, so it retains the author's simple drawings, gentle pace, and muted colors. For the uninitiated, Rupert is a kind friend and earnest do-gooder. Each of the stories focuses on an adventure he encounters while trying to help someone solve a problem, whether it be a family of red robins who have turned yellow from ingesting insecticides, or a gypsy boy whose foot is caught on a rocky ledge. Rupert's enchantments include brushes with pirates, sea serpents, a dragon, and a crystal ball, yet nothing is too ill fated that can't end happily in a matter of minutes. A menagerie of fanciful friends joins him, including twin bunnies, an eccentric inventor, and a Chinese girl named Tigerlily. Young American audiences unfamiliar with British terms such as "posting a letter" and taking a dog on a "lead" will find Rupert's dialogue delightfully intriguing. Adult fans that have grown up with this boyish bear will concur that the medium of video only enhances the magic. --Lynn Gibson