The Best Christmas Pageant Ever facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Barbara Robinson |
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| Illustrator | Judith Gwyn Brown |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
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Publication date
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1971 |
| Pages | 150 |
| ISBN | 0-06-025044-5 |
| OCLC | 588978 |
| Followed by | The Best Halloween Ever |
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a popular children's book written by Barbara Robinson in 1971. In some countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, it was called "The Worst Kids in the World." This story is about six kids who are known for causing trouble. They surprise everyone by volunteering to be the main stars in their town's Sunday school Christmas pageant. In the end, they help everyone in the town understand the real meaning of Christmas.
Contents
The Story of the Pageant
The book's story is told by the daughter of the person directing the Christmas pageant. Her name is not mentioned in the book.
Meet the Herdman Kids
The story is about the six Herdman children: Imogene, Ralph, Claude, Leroy, Ollie, and Gladys. They are known for being very wild and often getting into mischief. They always seemed to cause trouble. Even though they didn't do well in school, they kept moving up to the next grade. This was because the teachers didn't want to have two or more Herdmans in the same class!
Joining Sunday School
One day, the Herdmans hear that the church offers snacks at Sunday school. So, they decide to go for the very first time. The narrator's mom is shocked when all six of them volunteer for the main parts in the Christmas pageant.
- Imogene wants to play Mary.
- Ralph wants to be Joseph.
- Claude, Ollie, and Leroy want to be the Three Wise Men.
- Gladys wants to be the Angel of the Lord. She even compares her role to a character from a comic book!
The Herdman kids had scared all the usual actors into staying quiet. Because of this, the director had no choice but to let the Herdmans be in the play.
A New Look at the Christmas Story
The Herdmans had never heard the Christmas story before. They became very interested in it. The narrator and her parents were surprised to find themselves thinking more deeply about the story. For example, they thought about how the innkeeper made a pregnant woman and her baby sleep in a barn. They also thought about how the Holy Family had to run away from King Herod, who wanted to hurt baby Jesus.
The Best Pageant Ever
Everyone in town expected the Christmas pageant to be a complete mess. But the Herdmans' unusual way of acting actually made the show much more real and touching.
- Instead of walking perfectly on and off stage, the Herdmans were a little unsure where to go. This made them seem more like the real Holy Family and Wise Men might have been.
- Imogene didn't want to put the doll (representing Jesus) in the manger. She insisted on holding it, as if it were her own baby.
- The Wise Men decided to bring baby Jesus a ham from their own gift basket. They thought the traditional gifts like frankincense and myrrh were "crummy."
- The shepherds were so scared of Gladys when she announced Jesus's birth that they looked truly amazed.
- During the last scene, the narrator saw Imogene crying softly while holding the "baby."
Everyone agreed it was the best Christmas pageant the town had ever seen.
Book's Inspiration
The story seems to be a modern version of an old play called the "Second Shepherds' Play." The last name "Herdman" is a clever way to hint at "Shepherd." This shows how the book combines funny moments with spiritual ideas.
Stage and Screen Versions
The book has been made into plays and even a TV movie.
The Play Version
Barbara Robinson herself turned the book into a play. It was first performed in 1982 by the Seattle Children's Theatre. Many other theaters have performed this play over the years. For example, Stage One in Louisville, KY, has performed it for more than 20 years. First Stage in Milwaukee has also put on the show many times since 1990.
The TV Movie
The book was also made into a TV movie in 1983 by ABC. It starred Loretta Swit and Fairuza Balk. Barbara Robinson also wrote the script for this TV movie.
The Musical Version
In 2016, a musical version of the story, called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, was first shown in Charlotte, NC. It was written by Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartener. This musical was very popular and sold more tickets than any other show in that theater's history. They even brought it back for another season in 2017.
Other Stories with the Herdmans
The Herdman family also appeared in two other books by Barbara Robinson: The Best Halloween Ever! and The Best School Year Ever.
