During a farmhouse raid, Timmy the little sheep is lost in a gift box, first finding himself under the tree at the community bazaar and then in the hands of little girl who believes he is her Christmas present. The rest of the flock with Bitzer in tow must rescue Timmy before it’s too late. You can’t go wrong with Shaun the Sheep and there’s special hilarity with the little girl’s parents who are so obsessed with their technology and internet presence that they don’t even notice a flock of sheep invading their house. It somehow manages to feel modern and quaintly timeless simultaneously.   

The classic Dr. Seuss television special continues to both provide a fine representation of his work and also inspirational Christmas fodder. The misanthropic Grinch’s only understanding of Christmas is by watching the Whovian celebrations each year, thinking that it’s all about the things that encompass Christmas traditions instead of the internal shared feelings that the holiday brings to the Whos. On a large, new television, the fluorescent colors are almost lurid in their boldness, but the simple classic animation and memorable songs remain indelibly ingrained in the mind. As a related aside, I shout mental expletives to all who were involved in the 2000 live-action abomination, but more importantly to all those who think it’s a good idea to ‘arrest’ the Grinch during community holiday celebrations, clearly people who never actually read or watched the tale nor understand the concept of a redemption arch.