By Deborah Netburn
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

“People always say you shouldn’t work with children or animals,” said Jennifer Flackett, one half of the husband and wife directing team behind “Nim’s Island,” a new film from Walden Media opening Friday. “We worked with a lot of animals on this film and it was difficult. But kids are different. Kids are fantastic.”

“Nim’s Island,” which stars Jodie Foster and 11-year-old Abigail Breslin, is the second time Flackett and husband Mark Levin have worked together on a film with child stars — in 2005 they collaborated on “Little Manhattan,” a love story starring two 11-year-olds.

Levin says his main criterion for a good kid performance is that the young actor is never preening or cute, or mugging for the camera. “If there is depth and honesty to the performance, then when things are funny they are so much funnier,” he said.

Here are the seven kid performances that Flackett and Levin love the most.