The 12 Days of Christmas & Other Winter Holiday Picture Books for Kids – Day 6

<BR><font size=2><em>Reviewed by Amy M. O’Quinn for the National Writing for Children Center
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<img src=’http://writingforchildrencenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/the-night-before-christmas-book-cover.gif’ align="left"alt=’The Night Before Christmas’ /><strong>Title:</strong> <em>The Night Before Christmas</em>
<strong>Written by:</strong> Clement C. Moore
<strong>Illustrated by:</strong> Tomie dePaola
<strong>Hardback:</strong> 32 pages
<strong>Ages:</strong> 4-8
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Holiday House (July 1980)
<strong>ISBN-13:</strong> 9780823404179
<strong>ISBN-10:</strong> 082340417X

Since its original publication in 1823, this traditional Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore (originally titled <em>A Visit From St. Nicholas</em>) has been synonymous with the holiday season. In fact, the verbal icons of a ‘miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer’ and a ‘right jolly old elf’ with ‘a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly’ all originated with Mr. Moore’s now famous lines.

Mr. Moore was a professor of religion in New York, and <em>The Night Before Christmas</em> was actually a gift for his six children on Christmas Eve in 1822. But the words, ’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, now belong to the whole world. And Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a good rousing rendition of this delightful poem.

Throughout the story, the narrator tells of the magical visit of Saint Nicholas to his home and gives delightful descriptions of the visitor’s appearance and his actions. And the descriptions have certainly influenced the images we all have of Santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer. And of course the parting words, But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all. And to all a good night.”…will echo throughout the ages!

This version of <em>The Night Before Christmas</em>, illustrated by Tomie dePaola, is a treasure. He has set the poem in the 1840’s using his own home in a small New Hampshire village as a model. The illustrations are rich in detail and have an early American flavor, and the colorful borders around each page are based on designs from New England quilts.

But regardless the name of the illustrator on the cover of the book, <em>The Night Before Christmas</em> is a must-read for the holiday season! Gather your family members around, throw another log on the fire, serve some hot chocolate, and settle in for a special Christmas treat. It’s sure to become a holiday tradition!

<strong>Extra note:</strong> Just as there have been many different illustrated versions of <em>The Night Before Christmas</em> over the years, so are there now many spin-offs of the same—many quite humorous. Over the next three days I will be reviewing <em>The Cajun Night Before Christmas, The Hillbilly Night Before Christmas, and Texas Night Before Christmas</em>. So stay tuned!

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<strong>Amy M. O’Quinn</strong> is a pastor’s wife and former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six. She is also a freelance writer who enjoys jotting down ideas around the fringes of family life. She specializes in non-fiction, and her work has been published or acquired by magazines including <em>Jack and Jill, US Kids, Guideposts for Kids, Learning Through History Magazine, Highlights, GEORGIA Magazine, Homeschooling Today, International Gymnast</em>, etc. She is also a product/curriculum/book reviewer for <em>The Old Schoolhouse Magazine</em> and a regular columnist for <em>TEACH Magazine</em>. The O’Quinns live on the family farm in rural south Georgia. You can find Amy’s blog, Ponderings >From Picket Fence Cottage, at <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom">http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom</a>.