The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Herdmans #1

by Barbara Robinson, Judith Gwyn Brown (Illustrator)

The Herdman kids lie, and steal, and smoke cigars (even the girls). They also talk dirty, cuss their teachers, and take the name of the Lord in vain. The last place anyone expects to see them is in a church.

So no one is prepared when the Herdmans storm Sunday school and take over the annual Christmas pageant. Before anyone can stop them, they're plotting revenge on Herod, frightening the angels, and burping the baby Jesus. They've got the whole town up in arms.

How the Herdmans turn a series of disasters into what everyone agrees is the best Christmas pageant ever, is a hilarious, touching, and unforgettable tale from a beloved storyteller.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Middle Grade, Holiday, Classics

108 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

I grew up in a southern Ohio river town -- Portsmouth -- and that small town atmosphere has affected most of my writing.
My mother, widowed when I was three years old, taught school for forty-nine years in that same small town, and her major (indeed, only) extravagance was books. I grew up with, and quickly adopted, the notion that reading was the only way to fill up every scrap of loose time you could snatch.

I had the benefit, as well, of a wide variety of aunts and uncles and cousins, plus the extended family so common to small town life -- the neighbors, friends, teachers, bus drivers, mailmen, local heroes and local neâer-do-wells, and even a local blacksmith...great stuff to feed the imagination.

I began writing very early -- poems, plays, stories -- and just never quit. I attended local schools and then, being both book-struck and stage-struck, found a college -- Allegheny College -- where I could satisfy both passions.

I've been a short story writer, with some forty-fifty stories in McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, etc.; a playwright; an occasional poet, and finally and most happily, an author of children's books...happily, because there's no greater audience than boys and girls who read books and demand that those books be the most exciting, the most mysterious, the most touching, the funniest...the Best.

I live and write in a suburb of Philadelphia, and I have two daughters -- Carolyn, who is a nurse, and Marjorie, who is a sixth grade teacher and at home now with my grandchildren Tomas and Marcos, and all these people read books like crazy!

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have now read this aloud to my kids two years in a row. One year I hope to be able to make it through the end without sobbing.

2012 reread: It's just not Christmas until you've cried over this book!

2013 reread: Managed to hold it together until the very last paragraph. My kids think I'm nuts for bawling at the end of every Christmas story I read them. One day I hope they'll be crying with me!

2014: Ugh. So much crying at the end! Made it through most of it, though.

2015: Blubbered my way through the end.

2017: Cheated the open sobbing by having the two oldest take turns reading the ending in the car on the way to a family dinner. We had to sit in the parking lot for five minutes to finish (per the kids' request). I was able to bawl silently in the dark. I really felt like the 13yo and 9yo GOT it this year.

2018: Made it to the last page. Will never be able to finish that dry-eyed. Handed it to the 14yo.

2019: Last three pages read by the 15yo. Also had the 11yo do a bit of the reading, because she really wanted to!

2020: Pulled it out to read the finish last night, my now 12yo daughter said, Do I need to read the last page for you? Yes, the last three pages, actually!

2021: Read this to my children on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, and you know what? Still the best. Funny, poignant, sob-inducing.

2022: Barely made it into the last chapter. Daughter had to read the ending.

2023: On a cruise ship again. Finished, actually, on land at a Florida resort. Boy finished it.

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aż szkoda, że nie jest bardziej rozbudowana!

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 1: Oh! This book makes me smile. The value of this little volume is inversely related to its size. You can read this in bed on Christmas Eve and still be well rested for Christmas Day. The Herdmans are infamous around town and then they show up at church and decide to star in the Christmas pageant. Our narrator's mother is directing the pageant and we get to view the entire event from this perspective. There are some good laughs, some tears, and a reminder of the reason for the season. Highly recommended as a family read aloud.

Part 2: J. and I finished reading this today using Messenger App to bridge the ocean and many miles between us. We both absolutely loved the way Gladys interpreted her role as the Angel of the Lord: Hey! Unto you a child is born!
View the Christmas story through the eyes of six of the "worst kids in history." You might even need your tissues. I'll confess that I did. A classic that never gets old. 👼

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw an ad for a new movie that was made from this book, and it reminded me of Christmas Story, only about a Christmas Pageant. I listened to the Audio version on hoopla, and it was delightful. The book reminds me of what Christmas is really about and how fresh eyes can show us all something we start to take for granted. It is only 1.5 hours and was written in 1972. Merry Christmas.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story from my youth that I added to my annual reading list!

The Herdmans are a collection of six hellion children. When they hear about free and plentiful refreshments are being offered at Sunday School, they decide to attend one week. That happens to be the same week that Christmas Pageant rehearsals are announced. Enter the entire Herdman clan, who decide that they want in. Soon thereafter, they find themselves with all the staring roles and take it upon themselves to interpret the story in their own Herdman way.

What a classic and I am so pleased to have found this and relived some of my favourite childhood memories from my youth.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming story is timeless. Reading this, I realize that I red this as a child and it brought it all back to me. The story is easy to read in one setting.

Growing up in the church and seeing some of these pageants, this story is so funny for me. The church puts on the exact same Christmas pageant each year. At school, there is a poor family who are very mean, they are the school bullies and they disrupt everything. The story is told from the point of view of a child of the pageant director, but we don't really know them. One Sunday, a boy says the best thing about Sunday School is there are no Herdmans, the juvenile delinquent family. Well, they show up and take over the play, being the only ones who want roles in the pageant.

They don't know the stories and have to learn it all. Through their questions, it makes the other kids learn and think about the story in different ways. It is an amusing story. The end is a bit cheesy, but it works and I remember loving this story as a kid. All that chaos they brought to the pageant was funny and it makes for a good story. This story is as old as me, how wild is that.

I'm glad I found this again. I think there is a bad movie of this too, somewhere.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Christmas story EVER

I re-read this book every year. This story, told through the eyes of the rough and tough Herdman children is beautiful. It is magical to watch them change as they learn about the birth of Jesus

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unconventional, yet absolutely realistic, perspective on the Christmas story that just might humble, enlighten, and inspire you.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute and very fun book for the holiday season!

If you are used to the usual run-of-the-mill nativity presentation at your local religious institution and want a fresh take that is a bit out of the ordinary, it is worth giving The Best Christmas Pageant Ever a try! When a church goes to put on the same old nativity, some local ragamuffins are interested in participating (mainly due to the promise of snacks). Over the course of the story, these seemingly uncouth kids help those who have been taking the Christmas Story for granted open their eyes to the true meaning of Christmas.

I read this one out loud with my kids and we had a great time with it. The dialogue was fun and I loved hearing my wife and kids snicker after reading off a humorous line. So, not only was the book great, but it was a fantastic family read along experience. A great way to celebrate the holidays!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute children’s story! 😇

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a delightful and heartwarming holiday book. I can see myself re-reading it in the future!

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: CJ Critt
Narration Rating: 3 stars
Genre: Children’s Christmas
Length: 1h 52n

[Nancy Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hey! Unto you a child is born!"

That's what Christmas is about, but it's so easy for longtime Christians to forget. We know the story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, and we've memorized songs about angels and Wise Men. Somewhere along the line, it's easy for it to become rote knowledge, rather than something deep and profound that touches your heart.

But what would happen if you watched a whole family learn this glorious mystery? A family not filled with churchy people--in fact, filled with kids that make churchy people turn and run.

I loved how vividly the Herdmans were painted, both before they took over the pageant and after. You knew them well enough to know why this was a disaster in the making, which just made the transition that much more powerful.

This book had me laughing out loud on every page up till the last twenty or so. Then I was so touched by how the Herdmans were swept away by the story of Jesus--while still remaining Herdmans at the core--that I was nearly moved to tears.

[JohnnyBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 out of 10

Nice, a short little story about Christmas themes. My mother read this to me and my siblings when I was little, and although I'm not going to say that I remember a lot of the things in this book, I will say that I remember being really compelled by this as a kid and that I would recommend reading or getting this book for children. Fond memories!

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for decades (ever since our grade four homeroom teacher read it aloud to us as a pre Christmas treat in grade four, in 1976). And ever since 1976, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a yearly prior to Christmas reading ritual for me, and ever year, I seem to love and appreciate both the story and its messages and lessons a bit more. Now of course first and foremost, there is much laugh out loud humour encountered in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. For while the Herdman children might be little hellions, most if not all of their pranks are pretty well hilarious, and indeed, when Imogene Herdman bops Alice Wendleken on the head and claims she has cooties, I for one always do have to laugh uproariously, as honestly, if there is one person whom I absolutely cannot stand, whom I absolutely hate in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever it is outwardly, externally prim and proper but internally oh so nasty and bigoted Alice Wendleken (and of course also her mother who is just as bad if not even worse and has made her daughter equally judgmental and annoying). However, aside from the at times overly exaggerated hilarity of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (and the delightfulness of just how extremely naughty Imogene Herdman and her siblings can be), there is also much that I for one find thought provoking and even at times potentially saddening (such as for example the Herdmans rightfully upon having heard the Christmas story for the first time, being simply aghast that Mary and Joseph could not find adequate shelter, that Mary had to basically give birth in a barn and that as soon as Jesus was born, he was already in danger of being murdered by Herod). And indeed, as someone who has always (and since early childhood) majorly despised the above mentioned holier than thous with every fibre of my being, I do appreciate so so so much how Barbara Robinson with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever totally casts into the garbage pile of rejection and condemnation those who might claim they are Christian, who might on the outside act all comme il faut but who on the inside are like the narrator's "friend" Alice Wendleken, nasty, opinionated, and in fact acting very much akin and alike to the Pharisees whom Jesus Christ himself condemned so vociferously (as while the Herdman children might look ragged, while they might be poor, with bad manners and a penchant for mischief, with regard to the Christmas story, with regard to the real meaning of Christmas, they have it spot on, not only with regard to their questions regarding why Jesus Christ ended up being born in a stable, but also, if one considers how the Herdmans take the Christmas ham they have received as a charity gift as an offering for Leroy, Claude and Ollie as the Three Wise Men, as the Magi, to bring along, that is a much more heavy and meaningful personal sacrifice than any gold, frankincense and myrrh could ever be, especially since at the end of the Christmas pageant the Herdmans also refuse to take the ham back home with them, that they leave the ham they had received as charity, as a necessary food item, as a donation, as a gift to and for the church).

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine Geschichte, die sowohl lustig, schräg, verrückt, als auch warmherzig, ernst und einfach schön ist.
Es geht um die Herdmann-Kinder, die in der ganzen Schule berüchtigt sind - und nicht nur dort. Sie machen nur Ärger, sind laut, frech und ungezogen.
Und ausgerechnet diese Herdmann-Kinder sollen nun im alljährlichen Weihnachtskrippenspiel alle Hauptrollen spielen! Das kann doch gar nicht gutgehen!
Es ist herrlich! Das Buch macht einfach Spaß und ist zugleich irgendwie bewegend.

[Kathryn in FL · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents were leaders in an evangelical church when I was growing up, thus, as children, we were participants in church theatrics. I do not recall the various positions I held or those of my siblings but that isn't really important to this review.

The crux is when you get amateurs of various ages and talents together to put on a production anything is possible. One thing you can expect is the unexpected. Most likely its outcome, however is that key components of the story will not be reflected accurately. This is the focus of this hysterical story plot. People forget their lines, they make unlikely substitutions that can or will be very inappropriate and thus the audience is bound to react despite their battle not to at least giggle.

This was published in the 1970's and my mother read it aloud one evening while we were preparing for Christmas. I remember actually having a minor asthma attack because I laughed so hard I couldn't catch my breath. Tears of laughter were also on the scene of our home as we recalled various plays that didn't go as planned. My mother purchased a number of additional copies which became gifts for family and friends.

This is priceless humor. It isn't naughty (least not in anything you wouldn't hear in a radio ad - then again considering Dr. Schwartz's ads, this is considerably more appropriate for all ages, even little ears).

If you get a chance, look for a copy of "I was a bird watcher in church". This is a play that we also put on that had many people laughing and even crying as they connected to the story.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hey, unto you a child is born!”

I first discovered THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER in my school library in the mid-1980s when I was in elementary school. I remember enjoying it so much that I read it repeatedly, until my parents eventually bought me my own copy.

Although I’ve never forgotten about the book, I hadn’t read it in probably 35 years—until recently, when a new movie adaptation was released. Inspired by the film, I picked up a copy of the text at my local bookstore. Within the first 10 pages, memories from all those years ago came flooding back.

As a child, the story’s themes of grace and redemption didn’t resonate with me as deeply as they do now. But as a man in his mid-40s, who has returned to faith in the last decade, I find this book incredibly moving. It’s not preachy or didactic, but an honest and heartfelt exploration of how even those who’ve faced life’s hardest knocks can find beauty in the story of Christ’s birth.

And after all, isn’t that why He came?

I was delighted to gift a copy of this book to one of my nieces this Christmas. Of all my nieces, she’s the one most likely to see herself in some of the characters. I hope she discovers the same joy, self-recognition, and wonder at what the Christ child came to do that I now see in this story.

Revisiting this book after so many years was a true joy. It had been absent from my bookshelf for far too long, and I’m so glad to have rectified that.

[Mary-Therese P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute, wonderful story. It's become a tradition in my family to listen to the audio book every year. 1000% recommend, especially the C. J. Critt on Audible.

[Vintage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas, but that doesn't mean I like the fact that the Hallmark Mystery Channel betrays me every year and goes non-stop Christmas goo from freacking October into January. October through January is the Christmas season? TNT, you failed me too this year. Bring me back The Closer.

Anyhoo, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a wonderfully acerbic yet still tear-jerking Christmas story. Perfect to put a sneer of joy on the Scrooge in your life.

The Herdman children are "those" kids that pretty much every school has. They steal, smoke, drink and cuss, and that's just the kindergarteners. Just kidding, kind of. They manage to finagle themselves into the Christmas pageant then bring the real meaning of what being born in a manger is really like to everyone. Yes, you will laugh over their bad kid antics then cry as they realize the story they are telling.

Read many years ago.

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine who is a librarian insisted I listen to this book and I am so glad she did! It's a delightful tale about a large family of children, who, shall we say have behavioral issues? When they decide they want to be in the annual Christmas pageant, everyone is rightly concerned about their conduct, not to mention their language (which is decidedly not appropriate in a Church setting!) and their personal hygiene.

Although it is well known as a children's story, I can see why so many adults read this every single year.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s old broken-down toolhouse.”

If you like a little wry humor with your holiday cheer, look no further than this delightfully narrated audio book by Elaine Stritch of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

There’s a simple holiday message hidden under the escapades of the horrible Herdman brood. When these rough and tumble siblings infiltrated the church’s annual Christmas show – to everyone’s horror - no one in the town could have imagined that their holiday tribute would take on a new perspective.

It was an hour and a half of entertainment that eased my work and left me feeling less stressed. And don’t think this is only a book for kids. If you are capable of chuckling over hilarious stunts, then you are the perfect reader for this.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jesus said that bit about "suffer the little children" this may not have been what he had in mind...

(Yeah, yeah, "suffer" in ye olden times meant "allow" or "tolerate" - just let me have the dang joke, OK?)

Mother said, “And here’s the Herdman family. We’re glad to see you all,” which was probably the biggest lie ever said right out loud in the church. (38)

Our straight-shootin' no-nonsense but nameless narrator tells it like it is, as only an eight-year-old can. Out of the mouths of babes, and all that. (Whoa, a Bible quote twofer? 'Tis the season!)

4 stars - rollicking good fun, which by the way Wikipedia claims is "a modern day retelling of the medieval Second Shepherds' Play," and don't that just beat all.

[Susy C. *MotherLambReads* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited:
The movie was even better!!!!!!!!!! Not very often I can say the movie was better. I laughed and cried!

Such a cute little story. My kids had read it but I hadn’t gotten to it yet! Love the “relatableness” of the Herdsmen’s! We all have been like them. Love the simplicity of the Gospel! Fun Christmas story. Laugh out loud moments. And short enough to finish in one day for me!

Now to see the movie tomorrow! Hope it’s as good!


💬𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵:𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this one out loud to the kids every year.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed throughout this hilarious story of the Herdmans consisting of Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys. My first thought is that I can see why the kids are terrible if their parents named them that.

This is honestly a short and sweet story about a clan of terrible kids who have their whole neighborhood and community in terror of what they are going to do next. I did laugh at one line that said that the Herdmans were the worst kids in the history of the world, they lied, stole, and played with matches.

Yes, apparently playing with matches is equal to all of that.

The story takes a surprisingly sweet turn to the ending. The illustrations by Laura Cornell were great and really brought the Herdmans to life.

I read this for The (Mostly) Dead Writers Society 2016 Genre Fiction challenge. And with this final book/review I completed my challenge for the year!

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unruly pack of siblings, the Herdmans terrorize the school, back in the day when bullying, neglected children, and vandalism were simply hilarious. The girls smoke cigars in the bathroom!—what could be funnier than that?

This seasonal classic was previously unknown to me. The illustrations in this edition are grim and murky, like something out of Dickens. It does manage to be amusing, in that it’s over the top and makes fun of everybody, even the minister's wife and the local busybody. The pageant promises to be a spectacular disaster, but somehow, even in a children's book aimed at the Christmas market, contrives to provide some guidance on the true meaning of the season. What a plot twist that turned out to be!

There. Now my seasonal activities are all taken care of. Time to hibernate until a chorus of songbirds wake me in the spring.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 update #2. I read this aloud to friends on a road trip this weekend with all the voices. No regrets!

2025 reread. Honestly one of my favorite books of all time.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed "hilarious and heartwarming," this book is another one of my Christmas favorites! It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. The opening paragraph is unforgettable: "The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toolhouse." That doesn't sound like much of a Christmas story, does it, but just keep reading! In many ways the humor reminds me of the wonderful movie "A Christmas Story" (Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun) which I have to watch every Christmas. The nostalgia of each is so appealing to me. It's time to put my favorites in a stack and curl up in bed all day reading them - if only!

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply an absolutely beautiful story. It incites compassion within young and old and reminds us of the true significance of the Christmas season. We just love this book. Best done as a read aloud.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The six Herdman children are a nightmare--undisciplined, vicious, ignorant, and the bane of every adult's existence. When a chance lie brings them to church in late November for the first time ever, everyone thinks they'll get bored of it. But late November is when the church Christmas pageant starts, and soon the Herdmans have blackmailed or bullied everyone to the point that when the pageant organizer asks for volunteers for Mary, Joseph, the three Wise Men, and the Angel of the Lord, no one speaks up but the Herdmans. It's going to be the worst Christmas pageant ever...maybe.

This short, hilarious book never fails too make me cry at the end even as I spend most of the book laughing. I love the way in which the unnamed narrator comes to see the oh-so-familiar Christmas story in a new light. I work with children in my church and while we (thankfully) have never done a Christmas pageant, I can appreciate how hard it is--and how much harder it would be if you had six hellions in the key roles, none of whom know anything about Jesus beyond taking His name in vain. I imagine the Herdmans went home after the pageant, back to their old lives of fighting and swearing and smoking and blackmailing their peers, but I like to think they went home a little changed, too. Not much, because that would be unbelievable, and the beauty of this story is that everything that happens feels real. But enough that they can remember that time when somebody believed they could be more than everyone else thought they were.

Re-read 12/21/20: Someday I might make it through the whole book without crying, but I hope not.