Customer Reviews

Instant Christmas Pageants:: The Mouse's Tale with CD (Audio) [With CD]

5 star:		(5)
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3 star:		(1)
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I really liked this instant Christmas pageant skit book and CD. It is very clear to follow and has all the info for costumes, sets and props. All the narration and speaking parts are pre-recorded on the cd with full sound effects so the kids don't even have to memorize the lines. They do need to know when they speak and you should spend time teaching them how to be animated without actually talking but there is no need to worry that there will be dead silence because someone forgot a line or cue... which nervous kids tend to do! I also really liked that the print was very large so when you make copies for the kids to practice with (which is allowed) they can read it clearly. It includes time for the audience to sing along which is nice for family participation. This skit is designed for 22 or more children but many roles can be combined. It is very flexible for any size church. Because the kids don't need to memorize the lines all ages can participate and the book does a good job outlining what the roles are.

The story is told from the point of view of Grandma Mouse who was in the stable on the first Christmas day. All the characters are animals so the costumes may be a bit more involved than the other story choices. It does work well with a traditional living nativity, though. Other titles from the same publisher with the same format include...

Instant Christmas Pageant: Live from Bethlehem with CD (Audio)
Instant Christmas Pageant: The Fumbly Bumbly Angels (Instant Christmas Pageant)
Instant Christmas Pageant: The Not So Silent Night (Instant Christmas Pageant)
Instant Christmas Pageant: Operation Baby King (Instant Christmas Pageant)

I would highly recommend these 30 minute skits for an alternative or variation on the traditional Children's Christmas Nativity. Great outreach event as well.

I ordered this item based on the good reviews, but returned it as soon as I read through it. We have used programs such as "Birthday of a King" by TwinSisters in the past and "The Mouse's Tale" does not compare in quality or content. I don't usually give negative reviews, but felt some balance was needed in this case. Also, a major problem with the script is that it has the Three Wise Men coming to the manger scene, which is biblically inaccurate. They didn't show up until Jesus was in a house with his parents.

This play went extremely well for my church. The kids had fun dressing up. I had them say their lines and sing the songs. The parents and families laughed and chuckled. These are EXCELLENT plays to buy and use!!!

I spotted Group Publishing's Instant Christian Pageant "The Not-So-Silent Night" last year and decided to give it a try. I'm always a little skeptical about "instant" programs -- they usually make up for the lack of practice time with poor content, shallow story line, and not much "wow" factor. I have to report, this was not the case with "The Not So Silent Night". The first "practice" was a little rough as I tried to explain to everyone that we were pantomiming along with the CD, not actually saying the parts. A few kids needed one-on-one help really getting into their role, and the usually last minute drop-outs threw a few kinks into the program. However, despite all that, the program was a HUGE hit.

We heard comments like, "For once, I could finally hear the play!" "My kids didn't have time to get stage fright, because they had to keep up with their part." "The CD made practice so much easier!"

This year, we started with "Operation Baby King", another of Group's Instant Plays. The story line was a bit too complex for our group of kids, so we quickly switched to "A Mouse's Tale". Things have been going well. We've had about three practices so far. The format certainly isn't "instant" -- you have to break the kids up a bit so they can practice their parts before trying to do a big run through. Otherwise, everyone gets confused and bored.

We haven't had the play yet, so we'll see!

Check out the full review at my Growing Kids Ministry blog.

I love this series of 5 books!! Each one offers a different perspective on the Christmas story. This one is told by Granny Mouse and the animals in the stable Christmas night. Each book comes with a CD with all the music and spoken lines on it. All children do is act along with what is being said on the CD. Audience members are encouraged to participate through singing as well. The costumes are super easy to make and there are great tips for adjusting the program to fit the number of actors. I love all 5 of these books and HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for an easy to do, fun and professional looking Christmas Pageant for children!

This is one of the cutest and easiest Christmas programs that I have seen or been involved with. The children also found it enjoyable to be a part of.