The Mice Before Christmas: A Mouse House Tale of the Night Before Christmas (With a Visit from Santa Mouse)

by Anne L Watson, Wendy Edelson (Illustrator)

Overview

Everyone knows that famous line from "The Night Before Christmas," Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem: "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." But how many know why all those mice were already in bed, or what they were up to before that?

Here at last is a companion poem to reveal all: The holiday hustle and bustle in the mouse house since early that morning. The evening party for all the mouse friends and relations, with presents, feasting, and dancing. And to top it all off, a visit from Santa Mouse himself!

Never before told, this mice-eye story is sure to find a place in your heart beside the original classic.

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Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of "Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding," "Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door," "The Secret of Gingerbread Village," and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard.

Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of "The Baker's Dozen," "Quackling," "Christmas Truce," "Which Shoes Do You Choose?", and many more children's books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U.S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association.

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REVIEWER COMMENTS FROM NETGALLEY AND MORE

"A new classic." "A perfect gift for Christmas." "The start of a new Christmas tradition." "Will be a staple at our house for many more Christmas holidays." "I cannot wait to give this to all my friends with children of all ages as a gift this year." "A total delight." "This gem is destined to become a beloved holiday favorite!" "The kids loved it AND the adults loved it too." "Fantastic tale." "I will be sure to share this one with all my students for the holidays." "Sure to be a classic." "Brilliant." "I really don't think there is an age group who won't love this." "Even my grumpy old neighbour smiled." "This book blew me away!" "An absolute must for libraries." "Will give you a warm Christmas glow." "Will become a cherished family tradition." "Wonderful!!! Simply wonderful!!!" "A beautiful gift for anyone at Christmastime." "A must-have to be enjoyed by adults and children alike." "A Christmas delight." "Has the most vividly colorful and highly detailed illustrations I've seen." "Recommend this one for families, libraries, and even schools." "Highly highly recommend!" "Clever and adorable." "We always read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve, and now we will be adding this book to that tradition!!!" "Wonderful wonderful!" "Great spin on a classic!" "Pure Christmas joy." "A book to be brought out on Christmas Eve, year after year." "A new children's classic." "A perfect readaloud for the holiday season." "Should find its way into homes and school libraries for years to come." "A new favorite." "I was completely enchanted." "Perfect and beautifully executed." "Would keep children of many ages entertained for hours." "A fantastic companion to the original poem." "Captures the essence of what makes Christmas so special." "A classic in its own right." "Enchanting, cozy, and just very, very sweet." "You have to read it to understand the magic of 'The Mice Before Christmas.'"

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620356081
Publisher:	Skyhook Press
Publication date:	10/01/2021
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding, Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door, The Secret of Gingerbread Village, and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard.

Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of The Baker's Dozen, Quackling, Christmas Truce, Which Shoes Do You Choose?, and many more children's books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U.S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association.

Read an Excerpt

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through their house,
The mice were preparing. There wasn't a mouse
Who didn't join in for the holiday flurry.
From top floor to bottom, they'd bustle and scurry.

Their party was planned for that evening at eight,
With so much to finish before it got late!
So, they scrambled and scampered—no task was neglected—
To deck out the halls for the guests they expected.

* * *

Excitement kept building—while patience did not—
Till the clock in the hallway reached eight on the dot.
As the chimes started sounding, the door was thrown wide,
And the guests in their finery crowded inside.

Good wishes and greetings turned into a din
Of merriments traded again and again.
"Merry Christmas to you!" "And to all in your nest!"
"I hope that the New Year will bring you the best!"
They chatted and drank steaming cider from mugs
That often got spilled in affectionate hugs.

* * *

They were dancing in lines, they were dancing in pairs.
They waltzed down the hallways, they polkaed up stairs.
They spilled out the doorway in time with the tune
And danced with the snow mice beneath the full moon.

And as they were dancing, what sight caught their eyes?
A colorful, fast-moving blur in the skies!
Then clearly they saw it: a brilliant red sleigh.
And lo and behold, it was headed their way!

Editorial Reviews

2022-07-01
Watson’s festive rhyming picture book focuses on the waking hours of the mice from Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”

Early in the morning on Christmas Eve, a group of active rodents live in an elaborate house, which Edelson delightfully illustrates as crowded with furniture, artwork, and Christmas finery. The mice are dressed in old-fashioned clothing, and the Christmas tree is lit with real candles, befitting its 19th-century setting. They’re putting up “garlands of holly and evergreen limbs” and making gingerbread mice; the youngsters wrap presents but get tape in their fur. The abundant presents inspire clever rhymes: “gifts by the dozens, / for all the relations, for fourth and fifth cousins.” After a feast of cheese followed by dancing, Santa Mouse arrives, with hamsters pulling his sleigh. As in Moore’s poem, this Santa declares, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” Finally, the mice fall asleep, so they aren’t “stirring” later on; the final lines of the book are the opening lines of the original poem. Such references are enjoyable and make the story compelling, although it invites comparison with Moore’s original, which is the stronger work. Still, children familiar with the classic will feel as though they are in on a secret with this prequel.

An imaginative mouse tale with Christmas spirit.

Kirkus Reviews