The Night Before Christmas
(Libby/OverDrive eBook)

Ages 3-6. Rand illustrates Moore's famous poem in a large-format picture book that showcases his colorful paintings in a series of double-page spreads. Even children in the back row of a story-time group will get the full effect of the moonlit New England snowscapes and cozy, period interiors. Not a stretch for Rand, but he's comfortably in his stride here, and his fans will find plenty to like. In fact, almost anyone looking for a traditional, soft-focus interpretation of this Christmas favorite will find it an appealing picture book. (Reviewed Oct. 15. 1995)155858465XCarolyn Phelan

A father rabbit awakens on the night before Christmas and meets towering polar bear St. Nick in this enthralling, animal-centered retelling of Clement C. Moore's beloved Christmas poem. Richardson carefully swaps in details befitting the animal stand-ins, maintaining the original's jaunty rhyme scheme and most of its original verse: "His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!/ His nose was all wet and his cheeks were all hairy." Dunn's intricate spreads present fantastical, near-photorealistic characters against lush snowy landscapes, amplified with adroit employment of chiaroscuro. This adaptation will serve well as a cozy wintertime read for animal lovers, and as a lovely option for anyone seeking a slight revision of the traditional. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 2-Moore's beloved Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" receives new treatment from illustrator Caparo. The house is quiet and everyone sound asleep when the father of the family wakes to a commotion and runs to investigate. Lo and behold, St. Nick and his retinue of reindeer are on the roof. Santa pops down the chimney, stuffs stockings as he puffs on a pipe, and exits via chimney as quickly as he arrived, exclaiming, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Caparo's digital paintings capture the nighttime stillness of the house in plums and yellows; the winter landscape is rendered in icy blues and swirling snow. The action is driven by the father, agape with wonder, his bright-eyed Jack Russell terrier, and Santa, of course. St. Nick's arrival with Blitzen et al. is the dramatic highlight, and Santa's footwear gets an update with jaunty red high-tops. This is a solid, though not particularly inventive take, on a Christmas classic that has been reinterpreted ad infinitum. Young readers will appreciate the lush illustrations and Santa's cheeky jollity. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries in need of fresh holiday content.-Shanna Kim, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

First published in 1984, Lobel's interpretation of Moore's classic poem is soothing and peaceful. Dramatically moonlit views of a snow-covered city streetscape give way to richly colored, cozy interior scenes of a turn-of-the-twentieth-century brownstone. We get glimpses of family members sleeping snug in their quilt-covered beds; we see family portraits (one of which bears a strong resemblance to Arnold Lobel) on the walls; a fireplace hung with stockings; a Christmas tree adorned with candles. The only face shown is Santa's, as that traditionally portrayed gent goes about his toy-delivering business. A gorgeous aerial view of the Brooklyn Bridge completes the book. Martha V. Parravano November/December 2020 p.38(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Following in a hoary tradition, another artist sets his work to Moore's classic Christmas poem. A modern home is the setting for this rendition. A dog sleeps curled up in the hallway beside boots, children's drawings, and a shovel, all backlit by the lights of a Christmas tree. A Christmas elf sits on the mantle above the stockings along with a portrait of a hooded woman holding a glowing star. The White family lies sleeping until the male narrator is awoken by the clatter from outdoors. He and the dog rush to the window and share the magical moment of spotting Santa driving his reindeer. They watch as Santa lands in the fireplace, distributes toys, and sits with his pipe and enjoys cookies before shooting back up the chimney and flying off into the night. The illustrations use saturated color, sharp lines, and bright highlights for an animation-style sheen. Close-ups of Santa depict a round, pink-faced, blue-eyed man who will appear jolly to some readers, unsettling to others. With an opening scene that's familiar (to White, middle-class readers) and pets and mice sprinkled throughout, this visual tale will delight those who like to pair classic texts with more modern settings. Those contemporary trappings aside, this book's sensibilities are in tune with the original text's times. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Cozy fun for the right audience. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Veering from the convivial, scene-centered graphic interpretation often associated with this classic, Würbs offers a sparer take, narrowing each scene to softly focused images that are more suggestive than representational. The poem's opening lines are accompanied by an image of a lone candle burning in a brass candleholder, and the sleigh's rooftop landing shows two shadowy reindeer heads emerging from behind a foregrounded stone chimney. Santa's visage is something of a mystery at first, his arrival down the chimney represented solely by sooty boot prints, and the top of his cap, surrounded by smoke, rendered alongside the description of his pipe. Building a sense of mystery until near the end, Würbs finally includes one fetching, full-frame portrait of a warmly smiling Santa. A solid choice for those in search of a sophisticated, minimalist artistic vision of Moore's verse. Ages 6–up. (Oct.)