Advertisement With the success of having ignited an explosion of African-influenced pop culture in Western markets, there’s never been a more opportune time to get kids hooked on their new favorite hero, Kirikou! Super-fast, super-smart, super-tiny, and super-naked, he may not be the most physically imposing specimen, but he can save the day with the best of them. Not to mention that he’s got a theme song to rival Spider-Man’s, courtesy of Senegalese great Youssou N’Dour. In Michel Ocelot’s gorgeously line-drawn fantasia Kirikou And The Sorceress, our hero begins his exploits as a fetus demanding to be freed from his mother’s womb, possessed of a hunger for life before he’s even begun his. He carries that indefatigable spirit into his self-assigned calling to return bounty and serenity to his once-lush village, now plagued by a drought and the malevolent, magnificent witch Karaba. This quest plays out like an episodic series of herculean tasks, accomplished through the classical traits of cunning, courage, and kindheartedness. Pint-size Kirikou hides in a hat and a crudely fashioned bird costume, bests a massive elephantine creature and an army of twitchy robots referred to as “fetishes,” matures, and falls in love.