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Heidi 4 Paws:  A Furry Tale is a re-telling of Johanna Spyri’s children’s classic Heidi -- but performed by costumed dogs with animated mouth articulation. The story tells of a young orphan named Heidi who is reunited with her grandfather.  She is taken away to move to the city with a rich family.  There, she befriends Clara, who has become an invalid and does not have any friends.  Heidi sees the world as a giving, open place and her kind heart and gentle spirit are a gift to all who come to know her.

There are only a few very mildly inappropriate elements in the episode. During Heidi’s grammar lesson, the tutor points to a letter and says that it is a “P,” to which Heidi responds “Pee?”  It is implied that she urinates, as the lesson is then ended.  In another scene, Heidi is being washed off because she spilled ink all over herself.  Miss Rottenmeier says that she may have to tie Heidi to a chair if she can’t stay still, and Heidi jumps out of the tub and shakes off water everywhere.  Miss Rottenmeier calls Heidi “indecent” and “naughty.”  In another scene, Peter is a very bad dog when he decides to push Clara’s wheelchair over the edge of the mountain because he is jealous of her being Heidi’s new friend.  But because all of the characters are played by dogs and puppies, the “inappropriate” scenes are fairly normal in context of how dogs normally act and are played for laughs. 

Heidi 4 Paws contains many good lessons that are taught.  Heidi has trouble learning from the Sesehound family’s pretentious tutors, but Grandmama has faith in Heidi and recognizes that not everyone learns the same way.  Even though Peter destroys Clara’s wheelchair, he learns his lesson and tells Heidi the truth.  The overarching theme of the story is Heidi’s personality; the love and compassion she exhibits toward everyone and everything around her has a positive impact.

Because of the good values it presents and its charming and humorous retelling of a timeless, classic story, the Parents Television Council is proud to award Heidi 4 Paws with the PTC Seal of Approval^TM.  This DVD is recommended for children over the age of six.

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