The Little Drummer Boy is always been such a powerful story – one who has so little and yet gives so much to the baby Christ child. Always such a great reminder for children and adults, alike that we can always give something of ourselves.

Now, the kids’ classic company VeggieTales® (www.veggietales.com) brings us the classic The Little Drummer Boy, veggie-style just in time for your holiday shopping (by the way, we’re less than 90 days away…). It will be available for general release tomorrow and is currently available in Christian stores everywhere.

The story is based on the Ephesians 4:32 verse “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” The movie is based around the 1968 Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated version (which I never felt they showed nearly enough when I was little).

When Junior Asparagus thinks his friends forgot about him for their Christmas caroling, he ends up reading with his grandfather instead. He then becomes part of the story of Aaron, the Little Drummer Boy, who accidently stumbles upon the manager where Jesus is and gives the baby his gift of love.

The story is heartwarming and the soundtrack includes both Dove and Grammy winners BeBe and CeCe Winans who sing the title song and also the original songs “Can’t Smile Without Ewe” and “The 8 Polish Foods of Christmas.”

Bonus materials include audio commentary, the music video of “The Little Drummer Boy” and behind the scenes with the singers, sing-alongs for the two silly songs above, a visit to a drum factory with Junior, a family activity to make your own drum and an interactive book preview called Christmas Is Finally Here.

“The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without watching the story of The Little Drummer Boy, and singing or listening to the iconic song,” says Greg Fritz, senior vice president Sales and Marketing of the VeggieTales’ parent company Big Idea Entertainment.

The release will also benefit the philanthropic organization World Vision. To find out more about giving to this great cause, please check out http://www.veggietales.com/worldvision/ for information and their gift-giving catalog.

In addition, a very special CD is also now available in conjunction with this release, VeggieTales: O Holy Night: A Journey of a Little Drummer Boy that includes beautiful songs performed by Amy Grant and Matthew West, Wynonna Judd, Steven Curtis Chapman (featured in last year’s VeggieTales holiday release “It’s a Meaningful Life”) and the Winans. The disc includes all-new arrangements of Christmas and holiday favorites.

Marijo Tinlin is the editor in chief of Family First, one of the oldest family-oriented websites on the internet. She is also the author of the new book “How to Raise an American Patriot, Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American” available at www.raisinganamericanpatriot.com.