From Nest Family Entertainment’s “Inspiring Animated Heroes” series comes a DVD telling of William Bradford, the main leader of the Pilgrims who landed on our shores in 1620. It is a brief overview probably suitable for ages 4 to 10, using nicely done, colorful animation.

​The story begins with William intending to sail to Holland to flee the persecution by the Church of England. Instead, he ends up falling for a trap that lands him in prison. To keep the story from getting too long, it skips over his later release and successful attempt to go to Holland.
The story picks up about 12 years later, when he and the Pilgrims board the Mayflower to sail to America. A real-life crisis involving the ship that happened halfway across the ocean and its real-life solution are portrayed. William’s kindness and friendship toward an older friend named John Carver is shown.

William Bradford wisely has the passengers sign an agreement called “The Mayflower Compact” before they disembark from the ship and begin a new life as a community. John Carver is elected as governor. William’s strong desire to have a friendly relationship with the Native Americans is emphasized. The presentation briefly talks about the sickness that overtook the settlement during their first winter in Plymouth, taking the lives of about half of the 102 settlers. Even William becomes seriously ill. After the untimely death of Governor Carver the following spring, William is elected as governor.

There is a pleasant theme song that is presented when the Pilgrims’ teamwork to build their settlement is portrayed. The song seems a little “Disney-esque,” maybe due in part to the fact that the animation was directed by Richard Roth, who was at one time a Walt Disney Productions director.

The English-speaking Native American named Squanto is very helpful in giving the Pilgrims tips on building their food supply. The story ends with the Native Americans joining the Pilgrims for a Thanksgiving feast.

Although the cover shows that the DVD presentation is about 45 minutes long, the story itself is about half an hour. The rest is clips of other animations in the series, shown at the beginning of the DVD, and a repeat of the theme song with lyrics added for singing along, in a separate category selection. Below is a trailer to give you a sample:

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