What age is Eleanor's Secret (Kérity, la maison des contes) appropriate for?

6 alone, 5 with a parent; 6 in France. The whole movie, watched in full: what's in it, and how to talk about it with your child.

Why is Eleanor's Secret (Kérity, la maison des contes) not recommended under 6?

What's in it: our reading; the ogress, the witch, and a house grown huge; the aunt is dead, and he must learn to read. The detail, fact by fact, is in the zinema guide, which reads the work itself (images, sound, dialogue).

zinema · movies · what age

Eleanor's Secret (Kérity, la maison des contes): what age is it for? 6 alone, 5 with a parent

6 alone, 5 with a parent.

Movie · 2009 · 1 h 20 · animation, family

YRS

The trailer

Alone, or with you

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not yetwith an adult, or to talk about afteralonethe sweet spot

Alone from 6; from 5, with an adult or by talking about it afterwards.

The sweet spot: around 6-8, the age at which you are learning to read, when Natanaël's shame rings true and the tales summoned are still fresh; at eight, you recognise every character. Why a sweet spot?

In France, zinema would say 6.

Watch the trailerContinue in zinemathen where to watch it, in zinema · more trailers, and where to watch films · Where to stream itWhere to watch

What it's about

Natanaël, seven, still doesn't know how to read. His eccentric old aunt bequeaths her house to his parents and her book collection to the young boy. Nat discovers that the books serve as a shelter for all the heroes found in children's literature. They are the original characters and are counting on him for protection. For if they leave the library, they will disappear along with their stories forever! When his parents start selling off the books, Nathanaël, who is shrunk by the evil witch Carabosse, braves everything to save his tiny friends

Why 6

Our readingNot rated in the US. We say 6: Eighty painted minutes in which the frights are an ogress and a witch out of the tales, and a fall down library shelves by a boy shrunk to mouse size; no blow, no wound, and an aunt who died before the story. Six years old, five with a parent for the night in the library.
reading
The ogress, the witch, and a house grown hugeShrunk to the size of a mouse, Natanaël crosses the library at night: the ogress and the witch from the tales chase him, he falls down the shelves into the void, the beach and the roots become a whole country. A few minutes of storybook fright, in hand-painted animation, without a single blow or wound.
The aunt is dead, and he must learn to readÉléonore dies before the story begins, it is spoken of several times and the boy is sad; his shame at not being able to read at seven runs through the film. Four grown-up swear words in the French version, said quickly.

What the movie brings

The film to show when a child is starting to read, or struggling to: it turns reading into an adventure instead of a chore.
Hand-painted animation that looks like no television cartoon.
Alice, Tom Thumb and the wicked fairy summoned together: the urge to go and find the books they came from.

Watching it together

Before

At five, stay for the night in the library and the fall; say beforehand that Natanaël gets through it and learns to read.

After

at 6 and up

If the characters in your books came out at night, which one would come and see you first?

See the facts

Long dark scenes, night, storm●●● · shownmeasured

Pace●●● · shownmeasured

Abandonment, separation, confinement●●○ · shownmeasured

Density of dialogue●●○ · shownmeasured

Frightening imagery●●○ · shownreading

Insults, hurtful words●●○ · shownmeasured

Kissing, romantic gestures●●○ · shownmeasured

Tense music or sound●●○ · shownmeasured

A moment that calls for a parent●○○ · suggestedmeasured

A weapon shown or used●○○ · shownreading

Death of a character●○○ · saidreading

Fighting, brawls●○○ · shownreading

Humor●○○ · shownmeasured

Swearing●○○ · shownreading

For the same age, on zinema

Kung Fu Panda 6, 5 with a parent
Paddington 6, 5 with a parent
Kirikou et la sorcière 6, 5 with a parent
Penguins of Madagascar 6, 5 with a parent

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A zinema reading from September 22, 2026 · the whole movie, watched in full · the age by zinema's rules for the US and France, and a human reading · report an error · how this guide is made