I am sure that every household knows the story of Pinocchio, if not the Disney version then some version of the tale is told in most households. If you enjoy the story of Pinocchio as much as my family does then you will want to take the time to check out Pinocchio’s Christmas on ABC Family, this coming Sunday, December 16 and Monday, December 17.

Pinocchio’s Christmas is a cute little hour special that depicts Pinocchio’s first Christmas. It helps to teach that the true meaning of Christmas is love not presents.

It starts out with Papa Geppetto, voiced by George S. Irving, selling his boots so that he can get some extra money to buy Pinocchio, voiced by Todd Porter, a present. Geppetto gives Pinocchio his present early, an arithmetic book, so that Pinocchio can have it for school. Pinocchio in turn, wanting to give Geppetto a Christmas present, resells his book so he can have money to buy a present for Papa Geppetto.

The conniving Fox, voiced by Allen Swift, and Cat convince Pinocchio that if he burys the coins in the magic of the Christmas snow that a tree laden with money will grow. Being naïve Pinocchio plants his few coins and leaves them to grow while he dreams of all the things that he can buy for Geppetto. Fox and Cat meanwhile dig up the coins for themselves, and tell Pinocchio that the magic only works if you have never played hooky from school.

Pinocchio saddened by the fact that he now has no money to buy anything for Geppetto, agrees to work for Maestro Fire-Eater, voiced by Alan King, who owns a traveling puppet show. While performing in the show Pinocchio falls in love with a girl marionette named Julietta, whom he kidnaps to save her from remade into a Wiseman puppet.

With the police after him Pinocchio escapes with Julietta into the enchanted forest where he meets Lady Azura and the Cricket, voiced by Bob McFadden. Lady Azura then teaches Pinocchio that the most important thing about Christmas is love not the presents. Pinocchio rushes home to find Papa Geppetto.

On his way home he again runs into Fox and Cat who convince him to get into a sleigh to go help Santa. When in reality Fox and Cat have sold the string less puppet to the Duke as a Christmas present for his children. Pinocchio is able to leave the Duke’s home when he teaches the Duke that the children only want his time and love for Christmas not presents.

Pinocchio is finally able to make it back home to Geppetto and they all have a Christmas feast with Lady Azura, Cricket, and Julietta who is now a string less puppet as well!

My girls enjoyed the show more than I did, though they were not riveted to the screen as they were to other shows. The reason that they continued to watch was the fact that knew the characters from the Disney version of Pinocchio. The plot was slow at parts and sometimes even felt a little confusing and disjointed. The animation was not nearly as well done as I had hoped it would be. But all in all it is a cute little tale that does get around to teaching the children the true meaning of Christmas.

Happy Holidays, from my family to yours!