Many churches put on Christmas pageants in celebration of the special season. But the people of the church in Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will never forget the year that the Herdmans came to church and decided that they wanted to be in the Christmas pageant--not just be in it, but star in it. Along the way, the true definitions of patience, love, and sacrifice are revealed. And, for one family, the story of God on earth is given a whole new meaning.

The Herdmans are a group of six siblings--Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys--who terrorize the local children and some of the adults, too. They never do anything nice, even by mistake. They fight with everyone, even each other. And the only relief for the other kids comes on Sundays, because the Herdmans don’t go to church. Well, they didn’t go to church, until Leroy hears that candy and sweets are passed out every Sunday. This wasn't true, but Herdmans go to church, and they don't leave for quite a while. As the Herdmans proceed to take over the church, pilfering collection money and drinking the communion wine, everyone thinks this year’s pageant will be a disaster. After all, Imogene Herdman does not make a very nice Mary. But the Herdmans, Imogene especially, and the entire congregation are incredibly surprised once the pageant comes around.

One of the most wonderful things about this story is the emphasis on Jesus' sacrifice in coming to earth. In the traditional sense, the nativity scene was a quiet, peaceful place; one that befitted the Son of God. However, as most historians would say, that was simply not the case. The mother in the story, who is the director of the pageant, puts the difference quite nicely when she says, “You hear all about the nice warm stable with all the animals breathing and the sweet-smelling hay—but that doesn’t change the fact that they put Mary in a barn.” In the end, the entire story is cast in a new light; one that might make some readers uncomfortable, but a more accurate one, nonetheless.

This book contains considerable humor, most of it in relation to pranks pulled by the Herdmans. But, while the book is very light-hearted, the fun that it pokes at some characters could be considered offensive. Overweight children are teased, teachers and other authoritive figures are made fun of, and some members of the church as used as the butts of several jokes. Also, Imogene uses the Lord’s name in vain a total of three times, all because of her shock at learning something new about the Christmas story. While these issues are something to consider before this book is read to young children, they provide good topics for family discussion afterwards.

A lot of Christmas stories talk about the wonderful birth of Jesus--how much His mother loved Him, how the angels sang Him lullabies, and how God sent His only Son to earth. It’s the latter that gets glossed over quite easily. Jesus was born in a dirty barn, surrounded by farm animals. He didn’t come in splendor and glory, and Mary was probably exhausted and worried once her labor pains had ceased. She knew, as well as Joseph, the hardships that their newborn baby would go through. They had been told that His life would not be easy. Yet, that night, they experienced the joy that comes with being in the Savior’s presence. They knew that this tiny baby would change the world. As Gladys Herdman says, “Hey! Unto you a child is born!”

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