Review by Booklist Review
This Christmas charmer extends the familiar poem beginning \lquote Twas the night before Christmas with a series of couplets that alternate with the stanzas in Moore's original verse. A little boy confesses that, despite what everyone thinks, he was the only creature stirring in the house that Christmas Eve. He tries to sleep, frets about Santa catching him awake, notices the slippery sleigh sliding down the sloping roof, and creeps out his bedroom window to park it at a more stable point. Then he slips back inside, hoping that he wasn't noticed. Santa acts out his part in the original rhymes on the left-hand pages while the boy's adventures take place on the facing pages. The cool blues, purples, and grays of the evening scenes are warmed here and there with blushes of rosier hues, while the rounded forms, soft-textured shading, and expressive characters create an appealing visual interpretation of the verses. This child-centered reinvention of the Christmas classic is fun for reading aloud. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Forget mice. A wide-eyed boy is the kind of creature Clement C. Moore would not have imagined scurrying around while the events of his famous poem took place. Goodrich juxtaposes, in alternating stanzas, the comments of a curious, tousle-haired tyke sporting stars-and-moons pj's, with Moore's well-known words. "I don't want to butt in,/ but I'm wide awake,/ and in Santa's book/ that's a naughty mistake," says the boy, following the poem's opening lines. Yet the boy redeems himself with a good deed. Shadowy watercolor-and-colored-pencil compositions bring readers right into the anticipatory Christmas Eve mood. All ages. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-4-With Moore's classic poem on one side of each spread and humorous rhyming commentary from a modern young boy on the other, Goodrich gives a delightful new twist to this holiday chestnut. The colored-pencil and watercolor pictures, done in a cartoon style, are visually delicious. The artist's use of moonlight hues and soft textures makes objects seem to glow from within. His dynamic, cinematic compositions lend suspense to the scenes and reflect his extensive work in film illustration. A first-rate adaptation that will enhance the enjoyment for all who love the original.-Maureen Wade, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The familiar verses of "The Night before Christmas" are set in shiny gold letters on the left-hand pages of this atmospheric interpretation of the holiday classic, while Goodrich's rhymed quatrains set in a modern typeface serve as a counterpoint on facing right-hand pages. The creature who is stirring in this household is an earnest little boy in star-spangled pajamas, watching out the window for Santa's arrival. Those who are already familiar with Clement Clark Moore's original will best understand this juxtaposition of traditional text and corresponding action with the little boy's story. While Santa is delivering the gifts in the living room, the little boy climbs up to the snow-covered roof to help secure the slipping sleigh, with this good deed offsetting the boy's "naughty" behavior of staying up to see Santa. Goodrich's arresting illustrations effectively capture the shadowy blue-and-gray tones of the darkened household and the glowing midnight blue of the outdoor scenes, infused with reflected light from the surrounding snow. The illustrations are spectacular, but these original verses in casual, modern phraseology can't hold a candle to Moore's tried-and-true cadences. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
