The Night Before Christmas: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids

by Clement C Moore, Loren Long (Illustrator)

Overview

In her New York Times bestselling holiday favorite, Mary Engelbreit whisks readers away to an enchanting world brought to life by the Queen of Christmas herself.

Fans young and old will be delighted with this resplendent edition of Clement C. Moore’s classic poem. It’s the most magical evening of the year, in a house so cozy and bursting with Christmas that only this beloved illustrator could have created it. Behold an unforgettable wonderland full of fascinating detail, rich color, and lively characters!

This perennial bestseller will bring joy and warmth into the hearts of families during the holiday season—and beyond!

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062869463
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	405,324
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Clement C. Moore (1779–1863), an American scholar and poet, first wrote The Night Before Christmas in 1822 to entertain his children. A friend submitted it to a local newspaper, The Troy Sentinel, where it was published on December 23, 1823. Moore's delightful description of St. Nicholas and his eight flying reindeer has since become the definitive portrait of Santa Claus.

Mary Engelbreit grew up studying the illustrations in the vintage storybooks of her mother’s own childhood, and she developed a unique style that harkens back to those simpler times. She has authored and illustrated several New York Times bestselling titles, including The Night Before Christmas, Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose, and Mary Engelbreit’s A Merry Little Christmas. Mary’s distinctive images have made her a celebrity to millions. Her designs can be found on gift items, calendars, books, fabrics, and more. 

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/21/2020

In detailed art rendered in acrylic paint and colored pencil, Long adds an intriguing dimension to Clement C. Moore’s poem, visiting four families in different locales: a snow-covered farmhouse, a mobile home, a city apartment, and a tile-roofed house framed by palm trees. The artist’s introductory note explains that he took “visual clues directly from the famous text” and renders “a little old driver” and other components on a diminutive scale, to winsome effect (in one scene, Santa’s not much bigger than a group of household kitties). Readers see a diverse quartet of families asleep in their beds on Christmas Eve and view Santa soaring through the sky to deliver presents to each abode. The eclectic architecture, décor, holiday decorations, family configurations, and pet menageries shape a welcoming and inclusive portrait of Christmas Eve peace, wonder, and anticipation. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Long’s inclusive take on Moore’s poem focuses on four different families in four diverse dwellings....Details in the warm and expansive acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations clearly delineate each setting as well as draw viewers in and keep them riveted.

Horn Book (starred review)

★ 2020-08-18
A visual treatment of an old poem that’s both nostalgic and fresh.

The cover art focuses on St. Nick driving his airborne sleigh against the full moon. Flying reindeer pulling the sleigh break the cover’s right edge, leading into the book. The illustrations’ soft style establishes an old-fashioned look. Long’s central artistic conceit is revealed at the bottom of the picture, where he establishes four settings that Santa visits: a cityscape, a farm, a trailer park, and a palm-tree–dotted neighborhood. It’s refreshing to see artistic acknowledgement of Christmastime outside of snowy, rural, Rockwellian settings, and the endpapers show characters to be as diverse as their homes: an interracial sibling pair decorates a tree; a child who appears Black drafts a letter to Santa; two brown-skinned children draw a large fireplace scene; and three White-appearing children, one using a wheelchair, make cookies. The “right jolly old elf” himself is decidedly elfin, with a diminutive stature, and presents White with a ruddy complexion. In keeping with other versions, parents are depicted as the “I” of the text, and Long maintains his commitment to inclusion and diversity in their characterization as he switches among settings to show them encountering Santa. These shifts don’t follow a rigid sequence, and seasonal details in décor (several crèche scenes, stockings, trees, and even a menorah on the mantelpiece in the evidently bicultural urban home) offer additional visual interest.

Bring this one ho-ho-home. (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews

Fans will adore sharing this oversized, traditional treatment of the beloved Christmas poem. A delectable holiday treat.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher