The Night Before Christmas

August 30, 1999
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.

September 23, 2002
Engelbreit's visions of sugarplums translate to a busy-bright patchwork of checks, plaids, paisleys and chintzes in this oversize (11" x 11") volume. Her interpretation of Moore's poem features a cast of rambunctious elves who accompany an exceptionally jolly St. Nick as he leaves assorted old-fashioned candies and toys inside a home decorated in a spectrum of Engelbreit's trademark patterns and prints. Kids—and adult fans of the artist—will enjoy poring over the copious details. All ages.

September 29, 1986
The pictures, of course, turn Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas'' into Marshall's manic visions of the blithe Victorian fantasy. In addition to the boldly colored illustrations, there are additional lines uttered by Papa in his cap and the household petsa bulldog, cat and chickenas they gaze out the window at Santa and his reindeer: ``Holy smoke!'' ``Never in all my born days!'' Another chicken, three more bulldogs and extra cats share sleeping quarters with countless children in bunk beds and with Mama whose night gear includes not only a 'kerchief but a helmet, goggles and an umbrella. In short, the familiar verses are here a production of the humorist's satiric eye and children will love it.

January 1, 1986
Moore's beloved Christmas Eve poem has been glowingly illustrated by Spowart, who portrays a bear family in the key roles of the nestled children, "Mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap.'' Each scene is luminescent, as if lit by a crackling fire, or in the case of the wintry landscapes, by a silvery moon. The shy father bear peers over a stuffed chair while Santa works his magic; cozy stuffed animals spill across the page and angelbears hang from the tree. Bear fans and others will find this an enchanting ``new'' classic. (All ages

October 2, 1996
Folk artist and preacher Finster infuses his interpretation of the traditional holiday poem with his characteristic evangelical verve. Patterned with what look to be brush doodlings, his surreal compositions create a psychedelic party mood that contrasts sharply with the rather staid verse. Each spread is framed by a running word-border of such Finster preachings as "I am trying to get people back to God before the end of the earths planet." An eccentric dose of holiday cheer. All ages.

September 1, 2003
Black-and-white transforms to color once again in the Magic Window title The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illus. by Anne Yvonne Gilbert.

September 15, 2014
Never mind that shelves are jammed with versions of this classic: make room for Reid’s (Picture a Tree) innovative interpretation, distinguished by her trademark Plasticine artwork and a generous supply of humor. Reid turns Moore’s verse on its head, revealing a mouse who is very much stirring—it stares out at readers in alarm, caught in the act of sneaking a cookie from a bowl. This isn’t the only mouse awake, either: its siblings are scrambling to hang their stockings by the fireplace. The discrepancy between the familiar words and fresh visuals provides ample humor as the mice resist bedtime, rather than nestling “all snug in their beds.” Tableaux-style scenes let readers view antics on both stories of the mice’s log house, and Reid’s artistry results in detailed scenarios with uncommon dimension and texture. Ages 4–7.

September 14, 2015
Brack (Brick Greek Myths) brings her Lego-construction talents to a playful restaging of Moore’s quintessential Christmas Eve poem. Scenes within a Lego home show two children dreaming of sugarplums while a man and wife settle their brains for their winter’s nap. St. Nick’s sleigh soars over a white Lego landscape against the backdrop of a pre-dawn sky, as the pajama-clad narrator rushes to the window. Santa’s reindeer are one of Brack’s cleverest elements, and they have an almost robotic appearance, especially compared to the prefab Lego horses and chickens that appear below. Digital and other embellishments accent the Lego images—the stockings “hung by the chimney with care” are made from felt, and as Saint Nick puffs on his pipe, a billow of smoke swirls around him. A fine choice for Lego diehards. Ages 3–up.

Starred review from September 21, 2020
In detailed art rendered in acrylic paint and colored pencil, Long adds an intriguing dimension to Clement C. Moore’s poem, visiting four families in different locales: a snow-covered farmhouse, a mobile home, a city apartment, and a tile-roofed house framed by palm trees. The artist’s introductory note explains that he took “visual clues directly from the famous text” and renders “a little old driver” and other components on a diminutive scale, to winsome effect (in one scene, Santa’s not much bigger than a group of household kitties). Readers see a diverse quartet of families asleep in their beds on Christmas Eve and view Santa soaring through the sky to deliver presents to each abode. The eclectic architecture, décor, holiday decorations, family configurations, and pet menageries shape a welcoming and inclusive portrait of Christmas Eve peace, wonder, and anticipation. Ages 4–8.

September 21, 2020
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.

Starred review from September 25, 2006
Moses (Silent Night
) does his family legacy proud, putting his own cozy folk-style stamp on this much-loved holiday poem, a text that also inspired his great grandmother, Grandma Moses, whose picture-book edition has been a classic for several generations. A subtle aerial perspective allows readers to watch Santa's approach (over several breathtaking wordless spreads) to a small farming community in the glisten of moon-on-snow, a landscape dotted with snowmen, shocks of hay and wreath-adorned doors. Old-fashioned toys, wood-burning stoves and other details, often highlighted in spot illustrations, set this rendition in a bygone century. But the overall tone of this elegant volume, packaged with a bonus ornament, exudes a timeless Christmas magic perfect for family sharing. All ages.

Starred review from September 25, 2006
Spirin's (The Tale of the Firebird
) luxurious watercolor-and-colored pencil compositions whisk readers to what looks like a snowy New England village in the 1800s for his graceful reimagining of Moore's poem. He renders every chimney, windowpane and bare tree branch with crisp style and care; Saint Nick is effortlessly jolly, donning blue boots with his traditional red fur garb. Each passage opens with a tiny spot illustration, accompanied by a vertical border piece on the side, shaped like a grandfather clock or a bookmark and depicting some village scenery. Youngsters will be pleased that the artist breaks with tradition, casting the narrator as a boy (instead of the father). An edition sure to be cherished, especially by Spirin fans and art lovers. All ages.

October 26, 2009
Employing her trademark aesthetic, Isadora sets Moore's classic poem in Africa—her Santa Claus wears bright leopard-print pants and has gray dreadlocks. Mama's “kerchief” is a pink floral do-rag and the narrator is dressed in African attire, as he springs from bed to see the silhouette of Santa's sleigh (the reindeer are adorned with decorative beads) race across the sparse, snowy terrain. The gifts Santa pulls from his bag include a sock monkey, a zebra and three colorful dolls. The dynamic visuals offer a refreshing and original vision of this familiar verse. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from October 18, 2010
Puybaret (Puff, the Magic Dragon) infuses Moore's classic poem with whimsical details: the family's warm house is filled with folk art–style decorations and twinkling fairies, as a gnomelike Santa unloads his gifts, then prepares to rise up the chimney. The full-bleed artwork, layered shapes, and vibrant palette (Santa's coat shines against a glacier blue sky and green sleigh) make the paintings appear almost three-dimensional. An accompanying CD includes recordings by Peter, Paul, and Mary. Ages 5–8.

October 1, 1985
There are almost endless editions of Moore's poem, each as envisioned by a particular illustrator. The number and variety must make it difficult for people to choose the one just right to be part of their Chrismas celebrations. But Gustafson's full-color paintings, soaked in nostalgia, make his book a shoo-in favorite for lovers of tradition. In the best, old-fashioned mode, the narrator's house is garlanded with greenery and berries; the plump, tall tree glitters with candlelight; "Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap'' evoke the last century and Santa Claus is fat, gorgeously dressed in scarlet velvet and ermine, ``a right jolly old elf'' with a delicious grin trained on the astonished observer.