So, speaking of anime (which we weren't)....
I just saw the trailer for Howl's Moving Castle, and realized you could probably answer the question I've had for a few decades now.
Why are the characters in Japanese cartoons usually pink-skinned and exaggeratedly large-and-round-eyed?
Dan
Because they learned to animate from Disney. Seriously! That's why! Look at early Disney movies and you'll see the same large eyes.
Have you seen Castle in the Sky? Your kids would love it.
Clare says it's because the original anime illustrations were based on the old Disney cartoons, whose characters had big eyes. She seems to think it's easier to draw the expression in the eyes if they're larger. As for pink-skinned, she has no idea.