The Night Before Christmas (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jan Brett (Illustrator) "When out on the lawn there rose such a clatter..." (more)

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

From Publishers Weekly

Firelight, moonglow and shadow flicker throughout Whatley's (Whatley's Quest) interpretation of this holiday chestnut. The protagonist here is adult, residing in a New England hamlet; his home is filled with details seemingly from earlier this century. The book exudes a gee-whiz excitement, but the manic expressions of Santa and his reindeer take the idea of wide-eyed wonder a tad too far, breaking an otherwise magical mood. And the significance of the gift Santa winkingly hands the narrator (a cowboy toy that apparently evokes his boyhood) may befuddle younger readers. All ages. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; Second Edition edition (October 5, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399231900
• ISBN-13: 978-0399231902
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #126,078 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great illustrations, December 16, 1999

By	Frank "jake99" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night Before Christmas (Hardcover)

The poem is legendary of course but what my children (3 and 6) love is how Tasha Tudor brings the story to life. Every drawing has so many things going on that they find new ones every time we read it. By far their favorite Chistmas book.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Tasha Tudor, October 17, 2001

By	mimi "mimi" (North Haven, CT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Night Before Christmas (Hardcover)

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Night Before Christmas, Illustrated by Tasha Tudor, January 1, 2000

By	Margaret DuMont "quilter" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night Before Christmas (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas classic. Adults as well as children will be fascinated by the detailed drawings, which show animals as well as children and adults experiencing the wonder of Christmas.