As classics of children’s literature go, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web sits near the very top of the pantheon. Since its publication, millions of youngsters have fallen for its vivid animal characters, its sweet but not overly sentimental depiction of rural life, its gentle yet honest lessons about friendship and change and death. I counted myself among its fans as a child, and I count myself among them again now as a grown-up: In rereading the book for this very review, I discovered its pleasures to be just as enduring as I’d hoped.

As adaptations of classics of children’s literature go, on the other hand, HBO Max’s new Charlotte’s Web seems unlikely to leave anything near such a lasting impression. The Sesame Workshop-produced three-part special is just okay, bogged down by drab CG a

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