The Night Before Christmas

October 4, 1999
Firelight, moonglow and shadow flicker throughout Whatley's (Whatley's Quest) interpretation of this holiday chestnut. The protagonist here is adult, residing in a New England hamlet; his home is filled with details seemingly from earlier this century. The book exudes a gee-whiz excitement, but the manic expressions of Santa and his reindeer take the idea of wide-eyed wonder a tad too far, breaking an otherwise magical mood. And the significance of the gift Santa winkingly hands the narrator (a cowboy toy that apparently evokes his boyhood) may befuddle younger readers. All ages.

August 30, 1999
Spiffy acrylic paintings of a wintry urban landscape dotted with tangy candy-colored buildings give the classic poem some modern zip. The artist's whimsy shines in an "Identification Chart: How to Recognize Santa!" and the exploits of the household's black cat (and its white mouse pal). By book's end, even the lone straggler on the holiday tree lot has been touched by Christmas magic. Among the few good contemporary treatments of this poem, Grover's is a winner. All ages.

October 4, 1999
Like Whatley (see above), Tudor also whisks readers to New England, this time to a quiet spot in early-19th-century Vermont. Her cozy, nostalgic watercolor scenes, often lit by candle or roaring fire, are viewed as if through a large oval peephole. Loose ink lines and slightly hazy figures succeed in creating an aura of holiday fantasy. A spunky, elfin Saint Nicholas, a menagerie of perky pets (including the corgis, of course) and a very busy family of mice partying beneath the floorboards add a sense of fun. All ages.

Starred review from September 23, 2002
Those wishing to give the holiday some gleeful pop need look no further than Sabuda's (The 12 Days of Christmas; The Christmas Alphabet)
latest marvel of intricate paper engineering. In a slight twist, a tiny mouse family, tucked in and dreaming of shimmering sweets, wakens to sleigh-and-reindeer clatter. In Sabuda's signature style, a rainbow of solid-colored panels comprises the backgrounds, giving contrast to the white (save for St. Nick's suit) three-dimensional constructions. The pop-up of Santa's reindeer dramatically leaping toward readers is a stunner. All ages.

September 23, 2002
Engelbreit's visions of sugarplums translate to a busy-bright patchwork of checks, plaids, paisleys and chintzes in this oversize (11" x 11") volume. Her interpretation of Moore's poem features a cast of rambunctious elves who accompany an exceptionally jolly St. Nick as he leaves assorted old-fashioned candies and toys inside a home decorated in a spectrum of Engelbreit's trademark patterns and prints. Kids—and adult fans of the artist—will enjoy poring over the copious details. All ages.

October 1, 2003
A 1937 edition of The Night Before Christmas with illustrations by Reginald Birch is now available in a miniature, stocking-stuffer edition. Booksellers take note: the publisher has sold more than 1,000 of its 10-copy miniature red-sleigh countertop displays.

September 29, 1986
The pictures, of course, turn Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas'' into Marshall's manic visions of the blithe Victorian fantasy. In addition to the boldly colored illustrations, there are additional lines uttered by Papa in his cap and the household petsa bulldog, cat and chickenas they gaze out the window at Santa and his reindeer: ``Holy smoke!'' ``Never in all my born days!'' Another chicken, three more bulldogs and extra cats share sleeping quarters with countless children in bunk beds and with Mama whose night gear includes not only a 'kerchief but a helmet, goggles and an umbrella. In short, the familiar verses are here a production of the humorist's satiric eye and children will love it.

January 1, 1986
Moore's beloved Christmas Eve poem has been glowingly illustrated by Spowart, who portrays a bear family in the key roles of the nestled children, "Mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap.'' Each scene is luminescent, as if lit by a crackling fire, or in the case of the wintry landscapes, by a silvery moon. The shy father bear peers over a stuffed chair while Santa works his magic; cozy stuffed animals spill across the page and angelbears hang from the tree. Bear fans and others will find this an enchanting ``new'' classic. (All ages

October 2, 1996
Folk artist and preacher Finster infuses his interpretation of the traditional holiday poem with his characteristic evangelical verve. Patterned with what look to be brush doodlings, his surreal compositions create a psychedelic party mood that contrasts sharply with the rather staid verse. Each spread is framed by a running word-border of such Finster preachings as "I am trying to get people back to God before the end of the earths planet." An eccentric dose of holiday cheer. All ages.

October 1, 2003
Anita Lobel's 1984 rendering of Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas is reissued in a small, hand-size hardcover edition. The New York City setting-inspired by Lobel's former home in Brooklyn-supplies a unique urban appeal.

September 1, 2003
Black-and-white transforms to color once again in the Magic Window title The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illus. by Anne Yvonne Gilbert.

September 22, 2003
According to Rogers's (Tiptoe into Kindergarten) visual interpretation, goblins celebrate Christmas much like humans do. In this inventive outing, Moore's much-loved poem serves as tame backdrop for the action in Rogers's vividly imagined acrylic paintings. Saint Nicholas arrives at a friendly goblin family's underground home and receives a hearty welcome from the large, boisterous brood. After some playful roughhousing, Santa fills the clan's array of three-toed stockings and politely declines a plate of bug-chip cookies before heading back into the night. Kids, especially those already familiar with Moore's verse, will have a blast poring over the dank, mossy—but somehow cozy—environs of Rogers's fuzzy-pated, bulbous-eyed creations. Ages 4-8.

Starred review from September 16, 2013
Hobbie re-envisions this much-loved holiday poem through the eyes of a curious toddler and the family cat, along with the traditional patriarch narrator, in a radiant, gorgeously illustrated rendition. A snowy, magically moonlit sky and cozily appointed countryside home set the hushed, anticipatory scene for St. Nick’s wondrous visit. Wide-eyed astonishment on the faces of both father and child peeking at the action instantly convey the excitement of the season while watercolor and pen and ink spots, panels, and spreads present gentle, homey details—the toddler’s drop-seat pajamas, rustic garlands and stockings, a well-used fireplace. An artist’s note and information about Moore close out this volume. Ages 3–6.

September 15, 2014
First published in 1954, this interpretation of Moore’s holiday poem by the late Caldecott Medalist Duvoisin returns to print in a handsome edition sure to charm new generations of readers. The picture book’s tall, skinny trim size is as eye-catching as the vivid primary color scheme of Duvoisin’s art, as he follows a stout and abundantly bearded Santa down the brick chimney of the narrator’s home. The illustrator’s fans may notice that the stuffed yellow lion among Santa’s gifts bears a notable resemblance to Louise Fatio’s The Happy Lion, which Duvoisin illustrated the same year. All ages.

Starred review from September 14, 2015
Little does Santa know that, in Ercolini’s zippy spin on this holiday poem, he’ll be disembarking at the home of a family of Christmas superfans. Not a creature is stirring, but the house is utterly crammed with decorations. Colored lights adorn the house and the trees in the yard, while ornaments hang from every surface imaginable indoors: the tree, sure, but also the bannister, beds, and walls. And when Santa lands on the roof, he’s dwarfed by a massive inflatable version of himself—naturally he uses the opportunity to take a photo with his reindeer, who are dressed in outrageously dorky costumes as a cowboy, daredevil, and more. The text sticks to the traditional, but readers will be hooting over the hilarious details in Ercolini’s borderline manic cartoons. Ages 3–5. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

September 14, 2015
Brack (Brick Greek Myths) brings her Lego-construction talents to a playful restaging of Moore’s quintessential Christmas Eve poem. Scenes within a Lego home show two children dreaming of sugarplums while a man and wife settle their brains for their winter’s nap. St. Nick’s sleigh soars over a white Lego landscape against the backdrop of a pre-dawn sky, as the pajama-clad narrator rushes to the window. Santa’s reindeer are one of Brack’s cleverest elements, and they have an almost robotic appearance, especially compared to the prefab Lego horses and chickens that appear below. Digital and other embellishments accent the Lego images—the stockings “hung by the chimney with care” are made from felt, and as Saint Nick puffs on his pipe, a billow of smoke swirls around him. A fine choice for Lego diehards. Ages 3–up.

Starred review from September 25, 2006
Spirin's (The Tale of the Firebird
) luxurious watercolor-and-colored pencil compositions whisk readers to what looks like a snowy New England village in the 1800s for his graceful reimagining of Moore's poem. He renders every chimney, windowpane and bare tree branch with crisp style and care; Saint Nick is effortlessly jolly, donning blue boots with his traditional red fur garb. Each passage opens with a tiny spot illustration, accompanied by a vertical border piece on the side, shaped like a grandfather clock or a bookmark and depicting some village scenery. Youngsters will be pleased that the artist breaks with tradition, casting the narrator as a boy (instead of the father). An edition sure to be cherished, especially by Spirin fans and art lovers. All ages.

Starred review from October 22, 2007
Intricate and elegant cut-paper designs enliven Moore's poem with black silhouetted figures, peek-through pages and one glorious pop-up at the end. Readers will be captivated by the striking contrasts: dark human and animal figures and a few dramatic splashes of red, gold and green playing against creamy backgrounds of freshly fallen snow and bright December moonlight. Finely rendered and fun-to-spot details—e.g., mice playing in the attic—will also keep readers poring over this book's sturdy pages. Ages 4-up.

Starred review from September 24, 2001

Moore's chestnut is given fresh-roasted flavor via Jaramillo's (Peter Pan) inventive framework. In a note to the reader, Jaramillo claims to have discovered a collection of photos from 1901. That "antique" family album—shown here in grainy, glowingly lit sepia—just happens to depict the same series of events found in Moore's famous verse and even captures St. Nick in the flesh. Jaramillo's happy "hoax"—an intriguing blend of photography and computer effects— may well create some new believers in Christmas magic. All ages.

October 26, 2009
Employing her trademark aesthetic, Isadora sets Moore's classic poem in Africa—her Santa Claus wears bright leopard-print pants and has gray dreadlocks. Mama's “kerchief” is a pink floral do-rag and the narrator is dressed in African attire, as he springs from bed to see the silhouette of Santa's sleigh (the reindeer are adorned with decorative beads) race across the sparse, snowy terrain. The gifts Santa pulls from his bag include a sock monkey, a zebra and three colorful dolls. The dynamic visuals offer a refreshing and original vision of this familiar verse. Ages 4–8.

October 1, 1985
There are almost endless editions of Moore's poem, each as envisioned by a particular illustrator. The number and variety must make it difficult for people to choose the one just right to be part of their Chrismas celebrations. But Gustafson's full-color paintings, soaked in nostalgia, make his book a shoo-in favorite for lovers of tradition. In the best, old-fashioned mode, the narrator's house is garlanded with greenery and berries; the plump, tall tree glitters with candlelight; "Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap'' evoke the last century and Santa Claus is fat, gorgeously dressed in scarlet velvet and ermine, ``a right jolly old elf'' with a delicious grin trained on the astonished observer.