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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
The six Herdman children are "absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world." They lie and steal and smoke cigars. They even burned down Fred Shoemaker's old toolhouse. Now they're taking over the Christmas pageant. The Herdmans have never heard the Christmas story before, and they don't know anything about shepherds or Wise Men. When Imogene hears about the swaddling clothes, she demands to know why anyone would tie up a baby and put him in a feedbox. Leroy, Claude, and Ollie are planning on a gift that means much more than gold, frankincense, and myrrh-the ham from their Christmas basket. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, now also a television movie, has been a favorite of children and their parents since 1972. As C.J. Critt's spirited narration captures the lively and outrageous spin that the Herdmans put on the Nativity scene, listeners will delight in this unusual and refreshing interpretation of Christmas.
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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 26, 2011
      The “worst kids in the history of the world” are laugh-out-loud outrageous in this rollicking picture-book adaptation of Robinson’s 1972 novel. Cornell’s (My Mommy Hung the Moon) humorous, energetic illustrations highlight the incorrigible Herdman siblings’ naughtiness, as they’re pictured acting out well beyond the shenanigans chronicled in the punchy text. At Sunday school, they “stole all the money out of the collection plate,” and the fact that they don’t know the Nativity story “didn’t stop them from picking out the best parts for themselves.” As in the original version, they steal the show, providing a satisfying primer for kids not yet ready for Robinson’s longer holiday treat. Ages 4–8.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Barbara Robinson's 1972 story of the rotten Herdman family, who take over the annual church Christmas play, is still fresh, avoiding preachiness and achieving heartwarming hilarity. Elaine Stritch shares all of it like the best small-town gossip, and the voices of kids and grown-ups alike are real and, more importantly, funny. Events reel out at a breakneck pace, but Stritch's narration stays steady and in control. The whole family's guaranteed to laugh (but perhaps adults, who may find the antics achingly familiar, most of all), and there's every reason for listening to THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER to become an annual holiday tradition. J.M.D. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:930
  • Text Difficulty:4-6

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