The Night Before Christmas: A Victorian Vision of the Christmas Classic [Paperback]

Clement C. Moore (Author), Anita Lobel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2000 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

"A snow-covered Victorian New York City is the location for Anita Lobel's version of this classic Christmas poem. The cozy interiors show a cat curled up under the tree; portraits of ancestors in every room; argyle, striped and polka-dotted stockings hanging empty on the mantle; children snug in bed with dolls and teddy bears. A jolly St. Nick arrives on schedule, leaving a wonderful array of toys before he flies over a majestic scene of the Brooklyn Bridge and city skyline under the watchful eye of the moon. Lobel's paintings are gentle and reassuring, filled with intricate detail and family love. From the soft endpaper illustrations to the detail of the wallpaper in the children's bedroom, she has captured with richness and simplicity the joy and love of the holiday season."--School Library Journal, Starred

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The definitive city child's edition."
--The New York Times Book Review

From the Inside Flap

"A snow-covered Victorian New York City is the location for Anita Lobel's version of this classic Christmas poem. The cozy interiors show a cat curled up under the tree; portraits of ancestors in every room; argyle, striped and polka-dotted stockings hanging empty on the mantle; children snug in bed with dolls and teddy bears. A jolly St. Nick arrives on schedule, leaving a wonderful array of toys before he flies over a majestic scene of the Brooklyn Bridge and city skyline under the watchful eye of the moon. Lobel's paintings are gentle and reassuring, filled with intricate detail and family love. From the soft endpaper illustrations to the detail of the wallpaper in the children's bedroom, she has captured with richness and simplicity the joy and love of the holiday season."--School Library Journal, Starred

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dragonfly Books (September 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375810471
• ISBN-13: 978-0375810473
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,879,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't do the poem justice., November 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Night Before Christmas: A Victorian Vision of the Christmas Classic (Paperback)

Anita Lobel is a gifted illustrator and we have loved every other one of her books. So when we saw she had turned her talents toward an illustration of Clement Moore's classic poem, we figured it had to be terrific, right? Wrong. These dull, dark, dreary illustrations do nothing to bring alive the magic of Moore's work. We've seen other versions by completely unknown artists which were far more enchanting. The pictures are smallish and blurry, and three pages are merely different angles of essentially the same scene (Santa at the hearth). What a disppointment! To see what Ms. Lobel is capable of, we suggest you check out one of her other books (ON MARKET STREET is a good one to try). And if it's a nice version of Moore's poem that you need, there are are plenty of others to choose from right here on Amazon. ....