The Night before Christmas: A Visit From St. Nicholas [Hardcover]

Clement C. Moore (Author), Max Grover (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up

It is the night before Christmas. Every tree in the little Christmas tree lot has been sold--except one. The owner and his child lock up, then trudge through the snow to their house nearby; the family settles in for a "long winter's nap" . . . and the familiar verse about the most exciting night of the year begins. In this edition of "A Visit from St. Nicholas"--word for word the original verse by Clement C. Moore--the gifts of Christmas are shared with everyone, right down to the last little tree left alone in the snow-filled lot on Christmas Eve.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Grover expands upon the story through his artistic interpretation. Late in the evening, after all but one of the Christmas trees on their lot have been sold, a man and his child walk around the block to their house and prepare for a visit from St. Nick. Glowing primitive acrylics portray a suburban family with a colorful home (rendered rather like a dollhouse in some of the paintings). Mom and Dad both go downstairs to investigate, but neither really interacts with the "jolly old elf." St. Nick is a little remote in this version, but an identification chart in the center of the book tells "How to recognize Santa!" The final page reveals a little surprise that sharp-eyed youngsters will be sure to spot-the lone tree in the lot is now topped by a star. Solid and bright illustrations make this an appealing candidate for group and individual sharing.-A.C.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152017135
• ISBN-13: 978-0152017132
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,797,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clement Clarke Moore was a professor of religion and the author of several scholarly works. What he is most remembered for, however, is his poem "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," later called "The Night Before Christmas," and written as a Christmas gift for his six children.