THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Barbara Robinson's 1972 story of the rotten Herdman family, who take over the annual church Christmas play, is still fresh, avoiding preachiness and achieving heartwarming hilarity. Elaine Stritch shares all of it like the best small-town gossip, and the voices of kids and grown-ups alike are real and, more importantly, funny. Events reel out at a breakneck pace, but Stritch's narration stays steady and in control. The whole family's guaranteed to laugh (but perhaps adults, who may find the antics achingly familiar, most of all), and there's every reason for listening to THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER to become an annual holiday tradition. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]