meisterburger23 Aaron is an orphan who hates all humans because of some bandits killing his parents, stealing his family's sheep and burning his farm down to the ground. Aaron gets kidnapped by a greedy man named Ben Haramad and his sidekick Ali who take him to Jerusalem to perform for a crowd. Aron snaps and lashes at the crowd of people accusing them of being thieves and bandits. They flee and end up in the desert, they meet the three kings and Ben Haramad sells Aaron's camel to the kings after theirs collapses of exhaustion. Aaron dumps Ben and Ali and follows the three kings to Bethlehem. They are reunited with his camel but his pet lamb Baba Is run over by a chariot and Aaron is distraught. Desperate to get his friend back he plays his drum to baby Jesus and Baba is fine and alive again. Aaron learns hating humans is wrong, and the movie ends with the narrator saying a quoteNo seriously, I'm surprised this still airs on Freeform (ABC Family) this is probably one of the most tragic yet great specials. There are some dark scenes on here such as Aaron's parents being murdered, and their farm being burned (It's off-screen but one of the bandits tosses a knife and the dad falls down) There is also the kidnapping of a child, a lamb being run over.It's a heartwarming special and I watch it every year. I recommend this though younger children should not watch this without an adult present. Some scenes might traumatize them

Scarecrow-88 Although maybe non-religious, non-Christian viewers might not embrace it, I think this Rankin/Bass stop motion animation special does have a nice little message about how poisonous hate can be and how enlightenment can come from losing it when you have love in its place. Orphan boy, Aaron (Eccles), lost his home and parents to cruel bandits, which has brewed a hatred for all humans. His drum present from his beloved parents and sticks to pound them rhythmically have enabled him to develop a magic relationship with a camel, sheep, and lamb that follow him across the lonely desert of Israel during the Virgin Mary's pregnancy with Christ. The Star of David in the sky, Aaron encounters a no-good, greedy showman, Ben Haramed (Ferrer) and his clumsy, obedient partner as they force them to perform in the hopes of a hefty payday. But Aaron isn't wearing any smile and his attitude regarding mankind doesn't endear him to crowds. Soon they meet kings who are following the Star as it guides them to the birthplace of Christ where Joseph and Mary are, the manger scene in its entirety, and Aaron will see, after his sheep is trampled by the hire of a Roman soldier, under stampeding chariot, that desperate love for his pet can conquer hate. It is Christian in tone and presentation so those not in favor of its story and conclusion at the manger, when the light of baby Jesus offers assistance to the dying sheep, might not take to this one. I thought it had good animation and fun voicework with Haramed quite a villain, snatching Aaron and his pets, expecting them to entertain so he can line his pockets.

johnstonjames Tim Burton can go chase a goose. Rankin/Bass may be somewhat dated but they are still the crown kings of stop motion and Christmas entertainment.people never want to admit that 'Nightmare Before Christmas' is very funny but always overrated by fans who seem to refuse to look any further into stop motion animation or acknowledge Rankin/Bass or Lou Bunin who started it all.i love Rankin/Bass and this is the one that stands out as my favorite. i love the whole "true meaning" message and i can very easily relate to the drummer boy's hostility of the world and mistrust of people.i don't know why it seems so hard to get a perfect pristine copy of this show along the quality of the other Rankin/Bass entertainments. i couldn't even believe this was credited as being restored. it looked pretty washed out and age worn when compared with the restoration of say, 'Rudolph'.oh well, wasn't the message of this that he had no fine gift to lay before a king? i guess some fans will have to put up with inferior restoration of this till someone comes to their senses and rescues this charming and poignant little Christmas classic.

JR541 Hey, Lets say we have a roving band of dangerous nomads roaming the desert, brutally murdering people, stealing all of their possessions and leaving their young son to fend for himself in a cruel world. Perfect recipe for a Christmas Special. This one didn't stay as a network staple very long as it was not the happy nice nice special that Rudolph and Charlie Brown were .To Be honest I have liked this since I was a kid. It wasn't as good as the other Rankin/Bass specials but it was the only one of them that really has anything to do with the Jesus. Lot of emotion at the end. You end up glad that you watched it.