At the North Pole, Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves are always busy. But, they also have a canine crew to help make Christmas wishes come true, Paws and Mrs. Paws. Now comes more golden helpers, with the arrival of four puppies. The three girl pups, Charity, Hope, and Jingle, join their only brother in classes taught by elves. You see, it will be the puppies future job to spread holiday cheer to communities and to reward unique wishes with the help of magic crystals. But, these little doggies have a great deal to learn, so no crystals yet. Naturally, they are too impatient. So, when Mrs. Claus (Cheryl Ladd) loads up a sleigh for an advent trip to the joyous community of Pineville, the puppies sneak on board AND pilfer an elf's stone. Once in the village, Mrs. Claus is mistaken for a new nanny for widower Thomas Reynolds (George Newborn) and his two kids, Sarah (Kaitlyn Maher) and her older brother, Carter (Josh Feldman). Having recently lost his wife, Mr. Reynolds is trying to make do by continuing a cheery radio program with help from his talented, singing daughter. But, alas, big brother is very much NOT in the holiday mood, still missing his mother greatly. Thus, the stage is set. Out come the pups and one of the first folks they run into is young Reynolds. As the boy opens his mouth to speak, the crystal is stroked to ensure a wish is granted. Right you are, the wish is for the Christmas spirit to vanish from the town! What have these puppies done and can it be corrected? As the "grumpy attitude" spreads like a cold from person to person, will Pineville have a dreadful season? This is a nice film for families, with darling canines and a good cast. Ladd, Newborn, and especially the very talented youngster Maher are quite fine and Maher can sing like a wee angel. Danny Woodburn is terrific as elf Eli. Also, the look of the film is lovely, with a sophisticated art direction, and it also has an enjoyable, funny tale. On top of it all, there are the adorable dogs who steal scenes and hearts. The only problem this viewer can see is not everyone enjoys musicals, with songs being sung to the interruption of the action. Nonetheless, most extended families will consider this a nice diversion for the holidays and "pause" to include it in an evening's get-together.
