Of, By And For The Children : A motherless child tugs at the heart and a mannequin’s mind in ‘A Mom for Christmas’

Most kids would say their moms are wonderful, but how many can say, “My mom is a living doll” without stretching the truth a little?

Jessica Slocum can. She’s the heroine of the modern-day fairy-tale A Mom For Christmas, an NBC movie about a motherless little girl with a heartfelt wish-she wants a mother of her own for Christmas. The magic starts when a department store mannequin comes to life, thus granting Jessica and her workaholic dad that special someone in their lives. But the two soon realize that they’ll have to do some very quick thinking to keep their new “mom” with them once the holidays are over. Olivia Newton-John stars as mom/mannequin Amy, Doug Sheehan plays Jessica’s dad, and Juliet Sorcey plays Jessica.

“A Mom For Christmas,” Monday at 9 p.m. NBC. For families.

MORE KIDS’ SHOWS

Yes, Virginia, the animated Christmas special Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus is being shown this year (Sunday at 3 p.m. on KCBS). It’s about a little girl who asks a newspaper editor about the existence of Santa. Christmas Everyday, about another little girl who wishes that Christmas came more than once a year, follows (Sunday at 3:30 p.m. KCBS). For 5- to 11-year-olds.

You can never see Miracle on 34th Street (Sunday at 2 p.m. USA and at 4 p.m. KTTV) too many times. The Christmas classic that finds Kris Kringle working at Macy’s features Natalie Wood. For ages 7 and up.

“Christmas Carol” watch: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (Sunday at 10 a.m. USA), an animated version of the Charles Dickens story, has nostalgia value for parents, too. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Monday at 8 p.m. NBC and Saturday at 7 p.m. the Disney Channel) stars you-know-who. For all ages.

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (Monday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 p.m. the Disney Channel) is a 1962 George Pal film that includes adaptations of some of the brothers’ famous fairy tales. For ages 5 and up.

Lassie’s Christmas Adventures (Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. Nickelodeon) are a series of five holiday-themed specials starring the world’s smartest collie and her owner, Timmy. For 5- to 13-year-olds.

Hanukkah sometimes gets ignored amid the Christmas shuffle, but Lights (Monday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 11 a.m. the Disney Channel) is an animated special that tells the story of the Jewish holiday. For 5- to 13-year-olds.

“A Matter of Conscience” (Tuesday at 3 p.m. CBS) is a rebroadcast CBS Schoolbreak Special about a teen-ager who learns a shattering secret about his beloved grandfather. For 12- to 17-year-olds.

Frosty the Snowmama (Wednesday at 8 p.m. CBS) is the seasonal special about a very cool character. For 2- to 13-year-olds. It’s followed by the essential A Charlie Brown Christmas (Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. CBS). For all ages.

A rebroadcast ABC Afterschool Special, “Seasonal Differences” (Thursday at 4 p.m. KABC), tells the story of a high-school romance tested by the actions of religious bigots. For 12- to 17-year-olds.

An hourlong “Special Delivery” (Saturday at 2 p.m. Nickelodeon) includes two animated specials. A Very Merry Cricket concerns the holiday adventures of a cat, a mouse and a cricket named Chester, and Santa’s Magic Toy Bag reveals what happens when a well-meaning elf accidentally shrinks Santa’s sack of toys. For 2- to 11-year-olds.

In NBC’s “A Mom for Christmas,” Olivia Newton-John plays a department store mannequin come to life. Doug Sheehan is the workaholic father of the young girl (Juliet Scorcey) who finds a mother figure in the mannequin.