While Calpurnia considers herself lucky not to have an official part in this year's church Christmas pageant, she's willing to help her younger brother, Travis, fulfill his role as a shepherd. But she can't find any sheep to borrow, and their efforts to transform an old horse into a convincing-looking camel are laughable. Still, a neighbor willingly lends them two young goats for a few days. Despite Travis and Calpurnia's longstanding love of animals, they meet their match in these obstinate, unruly, and ever-hungry little goats. Thanks to a sedative administered by Calpurnia, the critters sleep through almost the entire pageant. The goat-driven chaos that follows their awakening creates the final dramatic moments in this amusing story. Written from Calpurnia's viewpoint, the first-person narrative offers simply written dialogue, wide-spaced lines of text, and graceful grayscale drawings. The sixth volume in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series of early chapter books will satisfy the many readers looking forward to the period setting (turn-of-the-twentieth-century Texas), the familiar characters, and the adventures arising from Travis and Calpurnia's continuing fascination with animals.