Skip to main content

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever


The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Written by Barbara Robinson, Illustrated by Laura Cornell
Harper, 2011. Unpaged picture book.

This classic Christmas chapter book has been adapted into a wonderful picture book. Join the six Herdman children, "the worst kids in the history of the world," as they invade the annual church Christmas pageant. During rehearsals, they wreak havoc on the congregation with their unusual interpretation of the first Christmas. Imogene thinks that "Bill" is a more appropriate name for the baby Jesus, and Claude thinks that the Wise Men would be better off bringing pizza instead of perfumed oils. But on the night of the Christmas pageant, the Herdmans are on their best behavior and perform their parts with touching honesty. Barbara Robinson, the author of the original chapter book, has perfectly adapted the tale into a picture book that the whole family will love. Laura Cornell's illustrations capture the story flawlessly. This would make a great gift or Christmas Eve read-aloud!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

Review: The Hidden Dragon

The Hidden Dragon By Melissa Marr New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Fiction. 161 pages. Three children, Otter, London, and Sophia, live in a fantasy world with dragons. Otter (short for Ottilie) is the daughter of a ship captain, and she loves the sea and its dragons. London is a stowaway boy, searching for a new life full of adventure. Sophia lives in a thief house with other children, all dedicated to helping each other and trying to make the kingdom better. As trouble begins to brew both on land and at sea, these three heroes realize that maybe it's up to the kids to make things right. Readers experience the book from multiple perspectives, and with a bit of mystery and adventure, this is an amazing fantasy read. With the inspiring message that children truly can make a difference, readers will enjoy how each character fights for what's right, even when it's inconvenient. The ending is resolved a little quickly, but this is a great read for all "hatchlings."

Review: Iceberg

Iceberg By Jennifer A. Nielsen New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Fiction. 339 pages. Hazel Rothbury has to get on the Titanic . Her family's livelihood depends on it. She's going to live with her aunt in New York and start working to send money back to her mother. When she discovers that she doesn't have enough money for a ticket, she sneaks on board and stows away. Hazel has an insatiable curiosity that drives her to pursue her dream of becoming a published writer. She decides the Titanic will be the perfect first story. As she makes friends and researches the ship, she uncovers a mystery and potential crime. Even though she's a young girl, stowing away in a lower cabin, she just might be the one to reveal the truth. I've never read a Titanic story I didn't love, and this book is no exception. I found myself immediately invested in Hazel's story. We know exactly what happened to the Titanic , but what happens to this young, smart girl? As she learns about