Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Nov 2006
128 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
The year is 1960, and, as it is every year, the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church, directed by Mrs. Elkins, who used to be in The Theater in New York, and who is tall and skinny with hair the color of the orange part of a candy corn, is a very big deal. Doug is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because, for one thing, you get to carry a stick. But there are problems everywhere. His fellow shepherds are hacking around, which makes Mrs. Elkins yell at all of them; the girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart and athletic and cute; the family dog is doing very poorly, and they have no idea what they're going to tell Doug's little sister Becky, who's playing one of the Host of Angels and who loves the dog more than anything; and his dad's just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant at all.
But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas ever.
"Barry is a crowd pleaser and doesn't disappoint with this tale." - PW
"Fun for the entire family; for all fiction collections." - Library Journal
"Dickens needn't fear the competition, but a Very Barry Christmas should prove a holiday favorite for years to come. " - Kirkus
This information about The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
The Miami Herald
Dave Barry is an author and humorist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated column, which ran in more than 500 newspapers and was the inspiration for the TV show Dave's World. He has also written dozens of bestselling books, most recently Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog, and Swamp Story, published by Simon and Schuster in June of 2023. Along with Ridley Pearson, Barry wrote the bestselling Starcatchers series of young-adult novels, one of which was adapted as the Tony-award winning Broadway play Peter and the Starcatcher.
Barry once set fire to a pair of underpants with a Barbie doll on national television. He is also largely responsible for the popularity of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, although it was not his idea. In recognition of Barry's ...
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung
Eve J. Chung's debut novel recounts a family's flight to Taiwan during China's Communist revolution.
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
