The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Do

October 16, 2006
A charmed dog, a talking pig and a murdered vicar.
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog
Dave Barry
. Putnam
, $15.95 (128p) ISBN 978-0-399-15413-3

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.