The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The “worst kids in the history of the world” are laugh-out-loud outrageous in this rollicking picture-book adaptation of Robinson’s 1972 novel. Cornell’s (My Mommy Hung the Moon) humorous, energetic illustrations highlight the incorrigible Herdman siblings’ naughtiness, as they’re pictured acting out well beyond the shenanigans chronicled in the punchy text. At Sunday school, they “stole all the money out of the collection plate,” and the fact that they don’t know the Nativity story “didn’t stop them from picking out the best parts for themselves.” As in the original version, they steal the show, providing a satisfying primer for kids not yet ready for Robinson’s longer holiday treat. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)