The Night Before Christmas [Abridged] [Hardcover]

Clement C. Moore (Author), Cheryl Harness (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 22, 1990 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

Illus. in full color. The holiday poem is brought to life in festive scenes of a Victorian home.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whose tiny faces are peeking out from Santa's golden sleigh? Yikes! It's two of Santa's elves who are Christmas Eve stowaways. Beloved illustrator Jan Brett's version of The Night Before Christmas lets these two mischievous elves add their rambunctious spirit to this familiar 1823 rhyming story. Here, Santa and his reindeer land on the snowy roof of a Victorian mansion in New England. While Santa delivers the toys inside, the elves and the reindeer frolic around the lawn, as a pig (earmarked for a girl named Jan) and a few alphabet blocks spill out of sacks into the snow. Santa swiftly reins in the mischief-makers and "away they all flew like the down on a thistle." Brett's richly illustrated borders are lavishly decorated with antique toys, ornaments, and sweet treats, all surrounded with twisting golden ribbons. They also give us a window on the mansion's inhabitants, including the children watching Santa's departure in awe. A sugarplum of a Christmas story, just right for a reading before "a long winter's nap." (Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations ©1998 by Jan Brett. Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.) (Ages 3 to 6) --Marcie Bovetz --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

What Tavares's (Zachary's Ball) monochrome art for this famous poem may lack in seasonal palette, it more than makes up for in authenticity. The artist pays homage to the original text, incorporating the spellings and phrasings of 1823, the year in which the verse first appeared in a Troy, N.Y., newspaper. Stark yet lushly textured pencil drawings, recalling the work of Chris Van Allsburg, capture the mystery, surprise and anticipation of what many children consider the most magical night of the year. The finely wrought portraits and shadowy, snow-covered Victorian setting will enchant. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; abridged edition edition (August 22, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394826981
• ISBN-13: 978-0394826981
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (344 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a treasure September 14, 2004

By E. Raposa

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book as a gift, and now that I've seen it, I'm going to order more. The classic story is made even better by the beautiful fabric-feel cover, cozy illustrations, and the yellow ribbon bookmark with a stocking on the end. You won't be disappointed.

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One Beautiful Book January 2, 2002

By Elizabeth Payne

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gorgeous...that is the best word to describe this book.

Christian Birmingham's illustrations create the pictures of the story that we all have in our heads...but alas, cannot paint ourselves.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely beautiful book November 11, 2003

By John

Format:Hardcover

Couldn't recommend this edition highly enough. The illustrations are beautiful and bring the magic of Christmas to life for both young and old. It truly is an heirloom edition made all the more special by the brass christmas stocking bookmark.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Christmas Treasure to Pass Along December 29, 2007

By Doggie Lover

Format:Paperback

I purchased this book for my nephew who just turned two years old. My brother and I had a different version of this book when we were children and it had wonderful pictures that I can still remember 40 years later. My own visions of the perfect Christmas came from this story. I wanted my nephew to have the same feeling toward Christmas and this story as we did. I looked at a number of illustrated versions of this book and this particular one had the best pictures. They are large and realistic, with beautiful with candy colors. You can imagine yourself in the scene and feel the soft fluffy snow on the ground and taste the sugar plums.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book looks so authentic it resembles the real thing! November 1, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

The Night Before Christmas-or A visit by St. Nicholas is a Christmas poem that is a must-read piece of literature. This particular version- is a reproduction of the original copy. The illustrations and print are absolutely beautiful . It takes the reader back in time to an era which truly captivates the real meaning of Christmas through the eyes of an innocent child. This classic work can be read over and over by anyone at any age. This particular version will add to anyone's heirloom Christmas collections and will no doubt be left on display for all to enjoy!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best version of the great classic we have found. January 25, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

The classic story is brought to life with superb illustration. My 2 year old daughter and I read it over and over to prepare for Santa's visit this Christmas. It is the best version of the book we have been able to find. This makes a great newborn gift!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book! November 22, 2005

By J. ODair

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this for my grandson and it has actually exceeded my expectations.

The drawings are beautiful and the layout is great for showing to a child. It also comes with a weighted bookmark.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars IMO one of the BEST Christmas books ever! February 3, 2010

By M&M Mom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this for my autistic spectrum son, who is 14 and obsessed with Christmas and "Night Before Christmas" books. He has something of a collection of them. I randomly chose this book as I was searching on the Amazon site, and boy, am I glad I did! The book is just beautifully illustrated, which should be enough in and of itself...but BONUS! There's a DVD inside the front cover that is just adorable. There are options to watch the movie in it's entirety or read the story yourself with the words that come up along with pictures...my son really enjoys this option as well as watching the movie; complete with the Santa in the sleigh that flies up to the rooftop, and then continues on his way to the other homes. I'm almost afraid that it will wear out because he watches it so much. With all that you get, the beautiful book AND the DVD, this is a bargain and I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone- young or old.