The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids — Content Guide for Parents
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
New hardcover gift edition with foil touches on the classic cover of America's favorite Christmas book by Barbara Robinson.
America's favorite Christmas book by Barbara Robinson is now a major motion picture! Lionsgate is releasing a live action movie version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on November 8, 2024, directed by Dallas Jenkins of The Chosen and featuring actors Judy Greer, Lauren Graham, Elizabeth Tabish, and Pete Holmes, coming to a theater near you!
The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, swear, and smoke cigars. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.
None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale--the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies--has a lot of people up in arms. And their wild antics cause havoc throughout the play's production. But the actual pageant is full of surprises for everyone, starting with the Herdmans themselves, as they ultimately lead the town in finding the true meaning of Christmas. They will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.
Barbara Robinson's popular and bestselling tale of the rowdy Herdmans has been beloved and celebrated since the book's original release in 1972. Read the book again before you see the live-action movie version that releases on November 8, 2024,
Frequently asked questions
Is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The Herdman children exhibit violent behavior, including setting things on fire, making bombs, and fighting. These actions are described as part of their 'horrible behavior' throughout the narrative. There is no genuinely frightening content in the book. While the Herdman children are depicted as intimidating, the overall tone is humorous and irreverent rather than scary.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have violence?
The Herdman children exhibit violent behavior, including setting things on fire, making bombs, and fighting. These actions are described as part of their 'horrible behavior' throughout the narrative.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have scary content?
There is no genuinely frightening content in the book. While the Herdman children are depicted as intimidating, the overall tone is humorous and irreverent rather than scary.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have religious themes?
The book includes a Christmas pageant that reenacts the Bible story of the Three Wise Men, indicating its religious context. It discusses biblical characters such as Jesus, Mary, and Herod, framing the story within a Christian holiday tradition.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have racial/cultural content?
The book features predominantly White characters, and while there are minor mentions of race, such as a reference to a 'Chinese baby' for the pageant, race is not a central theme or plot point.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have profanity?
The book includes mentions of characters cursing and swearing, with at least one instance of the phrase 'my God' being pointed out as swearing. This indicates the presence of mild profanity.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have climate change?
There are no themes related to climate activism, environmentalism, or denialism present in the book. The narrative focuses on the Christmas pageant and the behavior of the Herdman children.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have sexual identity?
There are references to discussions about sex and underwear within the context of the pageant, including a character's comment that leads to misunderstandings about the content of the pageant. This suggests a light treatment of sexual themes in a humorous context.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have gender roles?
The main characters are female and exhibit some agency, but they largely adhere to 1970s-era gender roles. The narrative reflects traditional gender expectations while also providing some nuance to the female characters.
Does The Best Christmas Pageant Ever A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes are mentioned in the book. The search results do not indicate any LGBTQ+ representation or discussions within the narrative.
