The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog [Paperback]

Dave Barry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2008

Have a very Barry Christmas!

In this “hilarious” (USA Today) national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize–winning humorist Dave Barry pens one of the warmest, most delightful Christmas stories ever. The year is 1960, and the Christmas pageant at St. John’s Episcopal Church is a very big deal. Doug Barnes is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because you get to carry a stick. There are problems, however. The girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart, athletic, and cute; the family dog is doing poorly, and they have no idea what they’re going to tell Doug’s little sister, Becky; and his dad’s just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant. But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas of all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pulitzer Prize–winning humorist Barry (Big Trouble) spins a nostalgic tale about a boy and his dog on Christmas Eve, 1960. Junior high schooler Doug Barnes is playing a shepherd in the Christmas pageant at the bat-infested Episcopal Church. When the Barnes family dog dies on Christmas Eve, Doug and his father end up adopting a shelter dog, Walter, a charmer who manages to wreck the pageant. Accompanying Barry's snappy narrative are photos and goofy advertisements from the period. Barry is a crowd pleaser and doesn't disappoint with this tale. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Should prove a holiday favorite for years to come!”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Striking just the right balance between sentiment and insouciance, this slender, hip Christmas story recounts a semi-autobiographical story.”
—Denver Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425217744
• ISBN-13: 978-0425217740
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The New York Times has pronounced Dave Barry "the funniest man in America." But of course that could have been on a slow news day when there wasn't much else fit to print. True, his bestselling collections of columns are legendary, but it is his wholly original books that reveal him as an American icon. Dave Barry Slept Here was his version of American history. Dave Barry Does Japan was a contribution to international peace and understanding from which Japan has not yet fully recovered. Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys is among the best-read volumes in rehab centers and prisons. Raised in a suburb of New York, educated in a suburb of Philadelphia, he lives now in a suburb of Miami. He is not, as he often puts it so poetically, making this up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have a Baby Boomer Christmas!, November 10, 2006

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (Hardcover)

You know what to expect from a Dave Barry book, and he doesn't disappoint us here.

This humorous Christmas tale is told by a young boy living in the 1960s in a New York City suburb. "Doug Barnes" gets sidetracked in the telling, as adolescent boys often do, but eventually we realize that the story is really about Christmas Eve, church Christmas pageants in general, and one "magical" one in particular. Barry is quick to point out that any resemblance of this story's characters to people in his true hometown is "frankly, a bewildering coincidence." But parts of this adventure just HAVE to be based on past experience. You can't make up stuff like this.

Easy to polish off in less than an hour, this book may well be appropriate to read aloud when the family is gathered 'round the eggnog on Christmas Eve. It's sure to dredge up memories of Christmas pageants of the past.

As a matter of fact: I hadn't given it a thought in many years, but Barry's story prompted me to remember the only Christmas pageant *I* was ever forced to take part in. Guess I wasn't much older than "Doug Barnes," and it was a Christmas in the late '60s or early '70s. Snowflakes were falling over our part of southeastern Pennsylvania. They were light enough that the Lutheran church service wasn't cancelled, but they were heavy enough to keep many people at home that night -- including the girl who was supposed to play the part of Mary. Suddenly I was promoted from second angel to one of the most visible roles in church history. I shuffled down the aisle, trying not to trip over the hastily-hemmed skirt that threatened to poke pinholes into my bare legs. Next to me marched a much older and larger boy whom I barely knew and had never had occasion to speak to. And we were supposed to be Mary and Joseph? Puh-leeze. Thank goodness not many people witnessed that scene! My only regret is that the church bulletin didn't credit me for my stand-in performance. Alas, we had no bats in the belfry, Brenda Lee songs, or dogs named Frank and Walter to make things more interesting.

Thanks, Dave, for the trip down Memory Lane...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pure nostalgia, December 6, 2006

By 

Richard Cumming "dick" (the heartland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (Hardcover)

Dave Barry is a very funny man. I expected lots of laughs from his new book. I got a few, mostly juvenile chuckles. This is a walk down memory lane. For those of us who were kids in 1960 we remember those simpler times. If you were ever in a Christmas play you'll flash back like crazy as Dave turns a Nativity scene into a farce. The illustrations are wonderful. It's tender, it's schmaltzy, it's a lost part of America. Dog lovers will love it but there's a price to be paid for their enjoyment. Read it and weep and smile and giggle and most of all, remember.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will Make You Laugh & Cry, January 3, 2007

By 

Katie "book worm" (PA , USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (Hardcover)

I received this book as a Christmas gift this year and, since I had never heard of this author before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But after having read it, I have to say that this is probably one of the best books I've ever read!!! It made me smile, laugh, and cry - a major feat considering that it's only 120 "short" pages in length...

"The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog" is written from the viewpoint of a young boy (Douglas) who is growing up in New York in the 1960's. He shares several funny, heartwarming stories about his family & friends, including the family dog Frank (I know Frank is not the dogs name in the title, but you'll find out why when you read it). The last (and longest) of these stories is about one fateful Christmas eve when, after everything that could go wrong did, he & his family (and pretty much the whole town) got to experience a beautiful Christmas miracle.

As I write this review, I'm purposefully trying not to share too much about this story, as I don't want to give anything away. It's one of those books where I think you really need to experience everything first-hand to get the most enjoyment.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to everyone! It's a beautiful, funny, heartfelt, and easy read - a diamond in the ruff! But be sure to have some tissues handy...