AnimeSuge: animated family specials and storybook shorts from 1966 to today, from Christmas and Halloween specials to Strawberry Shortcake, Thomas and Friends, the Cat in the Hat, Peter Rabbit and classic adventure tales, and where to watch them

How AnimeSuge looks

AnimeSuge takes its look from the archived pages of animesuge.to, a popular English-language anime site with a sleek, cinema-dark design. The page is almost black, with a thin light line running across the very top. A slim header carries a red logo with a small gold star, the wordmark in white and red, a row of light grey menu links that turn red when you point at them, and a dark search field on the right.

The home page opens with a strip of six wide stills from featured specials. Each still is shown in grey at low brightness, with a dark band across the bottom carrying its title, and when you point at one it bursts into full colour, exactly as the original site's banner strip did. Below the strip sits a large white search bar with a dark search icon and a red Filter button on the right, the most recognisable feature of the original home page.

Each section opens with an uppercase heading in pale grey, a row of quiet grey tabs that brighten when you point at them, and a pair of square arrow buttons on the right. The main grid shows seven posters to a row in the original's tall format, each with a small coloured badge in the top-left corner: red for a Short, blue for a Special and green for a Feature, followed by a dark rating badge. Beneath each poster sit two little grey chips with the year and running time, and the title in two centred lines of soft grey text. Point at a poster and a play symbol appears in the middle.

On wide screens, a side panel on the right shows the ten most watched titles with large red numbers and small posters, followed by every shelf as a grey chip. At the bottom of the page, a thin Back to top link sits above a dark rule, the footer links are spaced widely across the centre, and the copyright line and notice appear in muted grey beneath. Everything is set in Pathway Extreme, the modern sans-serif of the original. On a phone, the menu folds into a button, the strip shows two or three stills, the search bar shrinks a little and the posters settle into two or three columns.

Using the site

The big white search bar on the home page is the quickest way in. Type part of a title, a character or a holiday, such as Santa, Strawberry, Thomas, Peter Rabbit or Halloween, and the matching specials appear as you type. The same search lives in the header on wide screens and in the menu on phones, and it understands familiar short names, so Pooh finds Winnie the Pooh and Bob finds Bob the Builder.

The home page itself is arranged for browsing. The coloured strip at the top shows six favourites, the Recently added grid shows the newest titles in the catalogue, and the rows below bring Christmas specials, storybook shorts, preschool favourites and classic tales. The tabs above the grid lead to the holiday and storybook shelves and to the highest-rated specials, and the side panel shows the most watched titles and every shelf.

Each title page tells you what you need to choose well: the poster, the year, the running time, the rating and a short summary of the story, followed by the studio and the directors where they are known. Beneath them, a Where to watch panel asks for your country, and the Watch now button sends you to JustWatch with the official services that carry the title there, from subscription services and free channels to digital stores and libraries.

My List keeps your plans in your own browser. Press the button on any title page to add it, open My List from the menu, and remove a title once you have watched it. The list can be exported as a small file and imported on another device, so a holiday line-up planned on a laptop can travel to the family tablet in a moment.

A short history of the animated special

The animated television special was born in the sixties, when the American networks discovered that families would gather in front of the set for a single, carefully made half hour of animation, especially around the holidays. Studios such as Hanna-Barbera, Rankin/Bass, Chuck Jones Enterprises and DePatie-Freleng began making specials alongside their weekly series, and many of the most beloved became annual traditions.

The earliest titles in the catalogue come from this first wave. Hanna-Barbera's Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?, from 1966, is a playful sixties retelling of Lewis Carroll, and its Jack and the Beanstalk mixes live action with animation. Ballad of Smokey the Bear tells how the famous forest ranger bear got his name, and The Night Before Christmas, from 1968, imagines how Clement C. Moore came to write his famous poem for his daughter. Chuck Jones's A Cricket in Times Square brought George Selden's beloved book to television in 1973, and Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, from 1974, retold the true story of a little girl's letter to a New York newspaper.

The seventies also brought a long series of animated adaptations of classic novels, many of them made in Australia, which gave a generation of children their first taste of Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Warner Bros. packaged its classic Looney Tunes into new holiday specials such as The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special and Bugs Bunny in Space, and Chuck Jones returned to Bugs with A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court.

In the eighties, toy companies and greeting-card makers discovered the special. The World of Strawberry Shortcake launched a colourful franchise in 1980, followed by My Little Pony, the GLO Friends, the Mirthworms and many more. The Berenstain Bears, the Raccoons and the Smurfs had specials of their own, and Canada, Britain and France became important centres of family animation.

Since the nineties, the special has spread across cable channels, home video and streaming services. Preschool favourites such as Thomas and Friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam have feature-length specials, studios such as Magic Light Pictures have turned Julia Donaldson's picture books into much-loved half-hour films, and European studios have created gentle, artful shorts for young audiences. The tradition is as lively as ever, and every year brings a new crop of holiday specials.

Christmas specials

Christmas is the great season of the animated special, and the Christmas shelf holds 92 titles, the largest in the catalogue. The classics of the seventies and eighties remain wonderful. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree sends Papa Bear and the cubs into the woods for the perfect tree, only to discover that the woodland animals live in every tree they choose. The Christmas Raccoons introduced Bert, Melissa and Ralph Raccoon, whose home is cut down to make a Christmas tree, and The Trolls and the Christmas Express follows six mischievous trolls who try to sabotage Santa's workshop.

The nineties brought a rich variety. The Twelve Days of Christmas explains the famous carol through the story of a knight courting a princess, Santa's First Christmas tells how Santa began his work in the frozen north of Lapland, and The Wish That Changed Christmas follows an orphan who wishes for a grandmother. Noël follows a cheerful Christmas ornament whose happiness rubs off on every family he lives with, Spot's Magical Christmas sends Eric Hill's puppy to help Santa find his sleigh, and The Night Before Christmas from 1994 tells of an orphan boy and his loyal cat.

The new century has kept the tradition sparkling. Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe, from the makers of Wallace and Gromit, sends Robbie on a comic Viking adventure, The Happy Elf follows the lovable Eubie on his mission to bring joy to a gloomy town, and Santa vs. the Snowman imagines a lonely snowman who wants to be Santa. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! helps a baby reindeer find its way home, Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time is a gentle British winter tale, and Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Christmas Carol gives the engines of Sodor a seasonal story.

The most recent specials are among the most charming. The Christmas Letter follows a boy who brings cheer to a lonely neighbour, The Abominable Snow Baby adapts a Terry Pratchett tale, Superworm and The Tiger Who Came to Tea are perfect for the youngest viewers, and Shortsmas with Big City Greens, The Action Pack Saves Christmas, Beebo Saves Christmas, Animal Tales of Christmas Magic, A Chuck E. Cheese Christmas and A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever add new warmth every winter.

Halloween and the other holidays

The Halloween shelf holds 21 specials, all of them more fun than frightening. The Smurfs Halloween Special celebrates Jokey Smurf's birthday on Halloween, The Trouble with Miss Switch and Miss Switch to the Rescue follow a friendly witch who becomes a substitute teacher, and Witches in Stitches stars two dim-witted witches who accidentally turn their sister into a jack-o'-lantern. Tales of Washington Irving and The New Misadventures of Ichabod Crane retell the legend of Sleepy Hollow for young viewers.

More recent Halloween specials include The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About Halloween!, which takes Nick and Sally into the Oooky-ma-kooky Closet, Ghost Patrol, about two young ghost hunters who finally meet a real ghost, Arthur and the Haunted Tree House, Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween, Kiff: The Haunting of Miss McGravy's House and Spidey and the Avengers: Halloween Team-Up!.

The seasons and holidays shelf holds 33 titles for the rest of the year. Peter and the Magic Egg and Easter Fever celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz carries Dorothy back to Oz on a green turkey balloon, and The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw has the bears facing a legendary Thanksgiving monster. The Gift of Winter explains how the world first received snow, and Ernest & Celestine's Winter follows the famous bear and mouse through the cold months.

The French studio Folimage made a beautiful series of four seasonal specials with the same characters: Leon in Wintertime, Molly in Springtime, Bonifacio in Summertime and Poppety in the Fall. Together they form a gentle fairy-tale cycle through the year, with a brave bear, a clever princess and a gallery of comic villains. Antoine’s four Seasons follows a boy who discovers Vivaldi, and A Tale of Springtime and Vive le vent d'hiver gather short films for each season.

Classic tales in an hour

For many children, an animated special was their first meeting with the great novels of adventure. The classic tales shelf holds 27 adaptations, most of them about an hour long, which tell the whole story with brisk pace, bold colour and memorable music. They make a wonderful introduction to books that young readers may tackle later in full.

The sea calls first. Treasure Island follows Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver in search of buried gold, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea sends Professor Arronax aboard Captain Nemo's Nautilus, Moby-Dick tells of Captain Ahab's long hunt for the white whale, and The Adventures of Moby Dick offers a gentler version with a young whale as its hero. Gulliver's Travels lands Gulliver in Lilliput, and Off on a Comet carries a group of travellers into space on a passing comet.

Swashbucklers and heroes fill the rest of the shelf. The Legend of Robin Hood follows the outlaw of Sherwood Forest, The Black Arrow adapts Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of the Wars of the Roses, Cyrano retells Rostand's play about the poet with the famous nose, and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves opens the magic cave. Both The Three Musketeers from 1973 and The Three Musketeers from 1986 follow d'Artagnan and his friends, and both The Count of Monte Cristo and The Count of Monte Cristo follow Edmond Dantès on his long road to justice.

Mystery and science fiction round out the collection. Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet and Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear bring Holmes and Watson to animation, A Journey to the Center of the Earth follows Jules Verne's explorers underground, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame tells Victor Hugo's story of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. Both versions of Black Beauty and Black Beauty follow Anna Sewell's courageous horse through Victorian England, and The Last of the Mohicans adapts James Fenimore Cooper's frontier adventure.

Storybook shorts

Some of the loveliest films in the catalogue are adaptations of picture books and fairy tales, made with the same care as the books themselves. The storybook shelf holds 40 of them, and many are perfect for bedtime.

The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and Oscar Wilde have inspired several specials. The Happy Prince tells of a statue who befriends a swallow, Stanley, the Ugly Duckling follows a timid duck finding his place in the world, Timeless Tales: The Steadfast Tin Soldier retells the little soldier's journey, The Little Match Girl gives the old story a hopeful modern ending, The Red Shoes follows a young girl who dreams of dancing, and The Emperor's New Clothes and The Emperor's Newest Clothes tell the famous tale of the king's invisible suit in two very different styles.

Picture books from around the world come to life too. The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny and The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck follow Beatrix Potter's watercolours closely, Madeline visits the little girl in the old house in Paris, Daisy-Head Mayzie adapts a Dr. Seuss story about a girl with a daisy growing from her head, and Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Maurice Sendak's terrier on her quest for something more. Uncle Elephant is a tender tale from Arnold Lobel.

The newest storybook films are among the best. The Tiger Who Came to Tea brings Judith Kerr's famous tiger to a London kitchen, Superworm, Tiddler, The Smeds and the Smoos and Tabby McTat adapt Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Most Magnificent Thing follows a young inventor learning patience, The Monster at the End of This Story brings Grover's beloved book to the screen, and Lulu Is a Rhinoceros follows a little dog who knows exactly who she is. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience turns Mo Willems's story into a joyful rock musical.

Preschool favourites

The preschool shelf holds 55 specials made for the youngest viewers, with familiar characters, cheerful songs and simple stories about friendship, helping and trying again. Many are feature-length adventures that give a favourite series a bigger canvas.

Engines and builders lead the way. Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends star in Thomas & Friends: Thomas' Christmas Carol, Thomas & Friends: Full Steam to the Rescue!, Thomas & Friends: Race for the Sodor Cup, Thomas & Friends: The Mystery of Lookout Mountain, Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Letter Express and Thomas & Friends: Really Helpful Engines. Bob the Builder and his Can-Do Crew take on castles, winter games, the Wild West and mega machines in Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-A-Lot, Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild, Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish, Bob the Builder: The Golden Hammer and Bob the Builder: Mega Machines, and Fireman Sam saves the day in Pontypandy in Fireman Sam: The Great Fire of Pontypandy, Fireman Sam: Alien Alert! The Movie and Fireman Sam: Set for Action!.

Gentle friends fill the rest of the shelf. Peppa Pig: Wedding Party! celebrates a wedding in Peppa's world, Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy and Sesame Street: The Nutcracker bring Elmo and his friends, Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess and Dora and the Fantastical Creatures follow Dora and Boots, and Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas is a sweet story of two pig friends at the holidays. Octonauts and the Great Barrier Reef, PJ Masks: Heroes of the Road, Valiente: A Tracker Story, Super Monsters Save Christmas, Let's Go Luna!: Luna's Christmas Around the World and Chico Bon Bon and the Very Berry Holiday add adventures under the sea, at night, in the jungle and around the world.

Toy and greeting-card stars

In the early eighties, a new kind of character arrived on television: friendly, colourful heroes who had started life on greeting cards and toy shelves. The toy and greeting-card shelf holds 31 of their specials, and they remain a cheerful delight for young viewers.

Strawberry Shortcake led the way. The World of Strawberry Shortcake, from 1980, introduced Strawberry Land, where rivers of strawberry juice flow, and Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City sent her to a baking contest in the big city. She has returned many times since, most recently in Strawberry Shortcake's Perfect Holiday, Strawberry Shortcake's Spring Spectacular and Strawberry Shortcake's Summer Vacation.

The ponies of Dream Valley appeared in My Little Pony and My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina, and returned in My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure. The GLO Friends Save Christmas lit up the holiday season, A Merry Mirthworm Christmas brought a village of worms, Care Bears: The Giving Festival followed the Care Bears through a festival of kindness, and Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins II followed the singing raisins on a musical comeback.

Newer toy stars are just as colourful. Trolls: Trolla-Palooza Tour, Trolls: Together, Trolls: Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School and Trolls: It Takes Three continue the adventures of the Trolls films, Hanazuki: Full of Treasures follows a moon-dwelling girl and her treasure trees, Enchantimals: Finding Home celebrates friendship between girls and animals, and LEGO Friends: Holiday Special and Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure bring favourite toys and games to life.

Cartoon-star specials

Many of television's most famous cartoon characters have specials of their own, and the cartoon-star shelf holds 79 of them. The Looney Tunes appear in Bugs Bunny's Overtures to Disaster, with Bugs conducting his operatic hits, The Whizzard of Ow, in which Wile E. Coyote finds a book of magic, and Duck Dodgers in Attack of the Drones. Charlie Brown's baseball team struggles on in Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown, Puff the Magic Dragon teaches lessons in Puff the Magic Dragon: The Land of the Living Lies and Puff the Magic Dragon: The Incredible Mr. Nobody, and Goofy at the Olympic Games tells the history of the Olympics with Goofy as guide.

The cable cartoons of the 2000s are well represented. Jimmy Neutron: Operation: Rescue Jet Fusion and Jimmy Neutron: Attack of the Twonkies follow the boy genius, The Fairly OddParents: Fairy Idol and The Fairly OddParents: Fairly OddBaby follow Timmy and his fairy godparents, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Good Wilt Hunting sends the friends in search of Wilt, and Camp Lazlo: Where's Lazlo?, My Life as a Teenage Robot: Escape from Cluster Prime and Wayside: The Movie round out a golden age of cable animation. Today's stars include the Big City Greens in ZOMBI-Thon with Big City Greens, Kiff in Kiff Lore of the Ring Light, and Ben 10 in Ben 10: Alien X-Tinction.

European shorts

Europe has a long tradition of gentle, artful animation for children, and the European shelf holds 49 shorts and specials, most of them made in France and Belgium. They are often shown in cinemas as programmes of short films for young audiences, and many are available with English versions.

Several come from the Folimage studio in Valence, one of the great homes of French animation, including the four seasonal fairy tales described above. Two Snails Set Off follows a pair of snails dressed in mourning for a fallen leaf who are encouraged by the forest to celebrate life. Elsewhere, The Scent of Carrots follows a rabbit and a squirrel who quarrel over their different tastes, and It's a Dog's Life sees a family through the eyes of its overlooked bulldog.

Others are recent festival favourites. Zibilla follows a young zebra adopted by a family of horses, Mum Is Pouring Rain follows an eight-year-old girl spending Christmas with her grandmother while her mother rests, The Wind in the Reeds tells of a girl in a country where music has been banned, and Louis' Shoes follows a boy introducing himself at a new school. A Town Called Panic: Christmas Panic! brings the anarchic plastic toys of Cowboy, Indian and Horse to the holidays, and Ernest & Celestine's Winter follows the bear and the mouse.

The European shelf also includes Neige, about a school trip caught in a snowstorm, Looking for Santa, about a boy who wants Santa himself as a present, A Stone in the Shoe, about a frog in a class of rabbits, The Child and the Goose, A Tiny Tale, Charlie's Christmas, Ludovic - The Snow Gift, The Eye of the Wolf and Animal Tales of Christmas Magic, a programme of five poetic and humorous holiday adventures.

Faith stories

The faith shelf holds 12 gentle retellings of Bible stories and Christmas legends. The Night the Animals Talked imagines the animals of the stable in Bethlehem, The Little Drummer Boy: Book II continues the story of the young drummer, The Little Brown Burro follows the little donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem, and The Nativity and The Story of Christmas tell the Christmas story for children. Noah's Ark and The Legend of the Three Trees are classic tales, and VeggieTales: Abe and the Amazing Promise, VeggieTales: Twas the Night Before Easter, Hermie & Friends: Webster the Scaredy Spider, Hermie & Friends: Hermie and The High Seas and Young David bring lessons of kindness and courage to young viewers.

The studios behind the specials

Many different studios have made animated specials over the years, and each brought its own style. Hanna-Barbera, the studio behind The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, made dozens of specials from the sixties onward, from literary adaptations to holiday comedies. Chuck Jones, the great Looney Tunes director, made a series of gentle literary specials in the seventies, including A Cricket in Times Square, and Warner Bros. regularly gathered its classic cartoons into new holiday programmes.

In Australia, studios such as Burbank Films and Air Programs International produced a long line of hour-long adaptations of classic novels that were shown on television around the world, and many of the classic tales in this catalogue come from their work. In Canada, studios such as Nelvana and Atkinson Film-Arts made specials such as The Christmas Raccoons, which grew into a much-loved series, and Cinar and Cookie Jar later produced many favourite children's programmes.

In Britain, Aardman Animations made Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe and Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind for Christmas television, Magic Light Pictures turned Julia Donaldson's picture books into the much-loved Christmas specials Superworm, The Smeds and the Smoos, Tabby McTat and Tiddler, and Lupus Films adapted The Tiger Who Came to Tea. In France, Folimage and many smaller studios created the gentle shorts and seasonal specials on the European shelf.

Today, the streaming services commission specials for their own series, and studios such as DreamWorks Animation Television, Nickelodeon, Disney Television Animation and Mattel Television keep the tradition alive with new holiday specials every year, from DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays to Shortsmas with Big City Greens.

Eighties and nineties memories

For many parents today, the specials of the eighties and nineties are the heart of the catalogue. The 82 titles from those two decades include The Christmas Raccoons, The Trolls and the Christmas Express, The Smurfs Halloween Special, My Little Pony, The GLO Friends Save Christmas, Little Golden Book Land and Madeline, all beloved by children who watched them on television or on well-worn videotapes.

The nineties brought The Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa's First Christmas, Spot's Magical Christmas, Daisy-Head Mayzie, The Adventures of Mole and the Beatrix Potter films, all of which remain perfect for sharing with a new generation. Watching them together is a lovely way to pass on a family tradition.

Specials for every age

The catalogue suits every age, and a little planning makes each viewing a pleasure. For toddlers and preschoolers, the preschool shelf is the natural place to start, with familiar characters and gentle adventures, and the shortest storybook films, such as Tiddler and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, make perfect first films. The European shorts, many of them only a few minutes long and told largely through pictures and music, suit the youngest viewers too.

School-age children usually love the holiday specials, the cartoon-star specials and the toy specials, with their bright colours and cheerful songs. The Christmas shelf alone holds enough for a different special every evening of Advent. Older children and adults often enjoy the classic tales most, because they tell the great stories of adventure in a single sitting, and the artful European shorts and storybook adaptations reward grown-up viewers with beautiful animation and gentle humour.

Whatever the age, the running-time badges make planning easy. A red Short fits into a bedtime routine, a blue Special fills a family half hour, and a green Feature turns a rainy afternoon into a small event, with popcorn and the lights turned down.

In the classroom

Teachers will find the catalogue useful too. The classic tales offer quick introductions to great novels before reading them in class, the storybook shorts pair beautifully with the picture books they adapt, and the European shorts open conversations about friendship, difference and belonging. A Stone in the Shoe, about a frog in a class of rabbits, and Zibilla, about a zebra among horses, are especially good starting points for talking about being new or different, and The Most Magnificent Thing is a lovely film about patience and creativity.

Animal friends

Animals are the stars of many of the best specials. Dogs appear everywhere: Jingle All the Way follows a husky puppy who sets off across the country to find the boy he loves, Nine Dog Christmas sends a team of dogs to replace Santa's sick reindeer, A Hollywood Hounds Christmas has three pets entering a singing contest, and Dot & Spot's Magical Christmas Adventure stars two Dalmatian puppies. A Tiny Tale follows an abandoned dog who finds new friends.

Cats have their share of the spotlight too. Tabby McTat follows a busker's cat on the streets of London, Spookley and the Christmas Kittens has a square pumpkin and his friends helping three stray kittens, and The Cat That Looked at a King mixes live action and chalk-drawing animation in a story about a curious cat. Bears, mice, rabbits and moles fill the European shelf, and wild animals appear in The Last of the Curlews, a moving story about a rare bird's migration, and No Man's Valley, about a condor searching for a refuge for endangered animals.

Songs and music

Music is at the heart of many specials. The Twelve Days of Christmas builds a whole story around the famous carol, We Wish You a Merry Christmas follows three orphans who bring music back to a town that has forgotten it, Sesame Street: The Nutcracker sets Elmo's adventure to new music inspired by Tchaikovsky, and The Magic Flute retells Mozart's opera for children. Antoine’s four Seasons introduces a young boy to Vivaldi, and Carnival of the Animals has Bugs and Daffy performing Saint-Saëns's famous suite with new verses.

Pop and rock have their place too. Raisins Sold Out: The California Raisins II follows the claymation band on a comeback tour, Arthur: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll brings a famous boy band to Elwood City, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience is a full rock musical, and Trolls: Trolla-Palooza Tour takes the Snack Pack on the road. Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Disneyland Fun and The Land Before Time: Sing Along Songs invite the whole family to sing along.

Five to start with

If you are new to the catalogue, here are five titles that show its range. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree is a classic eighties-style holiday special with a gentle message about nature. Treasure Island shows how much adventure an animated hour can hold. The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a perfect modern storybook film. Leon in Wintertime shows the artistry of European animation, and Lulu Is a Rhinoceros is a joyful new musical special. Watch them in any order, add the ones you love to My List, and let them lead you to the rest of the shelves.

Big adventures in small packages

Some specials pack a feature film's worth of adventure into a single hour. The Pig, the Fox, and the Mill follows a young pig whose town lies under a destructive dark cloud, Hanor's Journey sends a young prince on a fantasy quest to find the heir of the elves, and The Emperor's Treasure travels back in time to the mountains of Peru. Little Houdini follows the boyhood of the great escape artist, The Jungle Bunch 2: The Great Treasure Quest sends Maurice the penguin-tiger and his friends after pirate gold, and Lucky Duck follows a little rubber duck who falls off the delivery truck on his way to the shop and sets out to find his way home.

Science fiction and fantasy have their place too. Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest sends the Doctor and Martha Jones across space and time, Ben 10: Alien X-Tinction carries the Tennysons into a parallel universe, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 - Lost in New Jersey gives the heroes in a half shell a holiday mystery. For younger adventurers, Valiente: A Tracker Story and Dora and the Fantastical Creatures offer just enough excitement for small hearts.

The help pages

Fifteen short help pages are listed in the menu for anyone who likes a guided tour. Start with How to watch with AnimeSuge, which follows a special from the poster grid to its official service, then read Finding a special for search tips and My List to plan a holiday line-up.

The theme guides open the catalogue by season and style: Christmas specials, Halloween and holidays, Storybook shorts, Preschool favourites, Classic tales and Toy and greeting-card stars, each with a few recommendations and a link to the full shelf.

The practical pages explain Languages and versions, including what the Short, Special and Feature badges mean, and cover Apps and devices, Where AnimeSuge specials stream, Watching safely, The official AnimeSuge site and Is AnimeSuge working?.

A year of specials

One of the joys of this catalogue is that there is a special for every month. Here is a suggested year of family viewing, one or two titles at a time.

In January, begin the year with StarBeam: Beaming in the New Year and the snowy Ernest & Celestine's Winter. In February, share Ever After High: True Hearts Day or True: Happy Hearts Day for Valentine's Day. March is the month for Molly in Springtime and A Tale of Springtime, and April brings Easter with Peter and the Magic Egg and VeggieTales: Twas the Night Before Easter.

In May, celebrate mothers with The Bugs Bunny Mother's Day Special. June and July are perfect for Bonifacio in Summertime, Strawberry Shortcake's Summer Vacation and the seaside adventures of Octonauts and the Great Barrier Reef. In August, before school starts again, try Trolls: Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School and Louis' Shoes.

September and October bring the autumn, with Poppety in the Fall, then the Halloween specials: The Smurfs Halloween Special, The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About Halloween! and Ghost Patrol. November is Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz and The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw, and December brings the whole Christmas shelf, from Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus to A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever.

Add the titles you like to My List, and the family calendar takes care of itself. Many families find that a special becomes a tradition after just one year, returning every season like an old friend.

Watching today

Animated specials are easy to find today. Many classic holiday specials return to television every year, and streaming services carry large libraries of specials from the series they own, from Thomas and Friends to the Big City Greens. Free services with adverts often host the older literary adaptations and toy specials, and public libraries lend many of them on disc and through their digital services.

The country you live in decides which services carry each title, so every page asks for your country before you press Watch now. JustWatch then lists the official options, and when a special is offered by more than one service, it is easy to pick the one you already have.

For the best experience, choose a special by running time and mood. A Short of a few minutes makes a perfect bedtime story, a Special of half an hour suits a family evening, and a Feature of an hour or more is ideal for a rainy afternoon. Watch with the sound on, because songs are at the heart of many of these films.

Happy viewing

For almost sixty years, the animated special has brought families together in front of the screen, at Christmas and Halloween, at Easter and Thanksgiving, and on ordinary evenings when a short, beautiful story was exactly what everyone needed. The 343 titles on AnimeSuge gather that tradition in one place, from the first Hanna-Barbera specials of 1966 to the newest holiday shorts.

Search for a title, open a shelf or start with the year of specials above. Press Watch now, choose your country, and settle in together. Welcome to AnimeSuge.

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