The night before Christmas Or, A visit from St. Nicholas : the classic edition

Santore has illustrated many classic stories, including Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, and The Little Mermaid, and he now brings to life Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" in characteristically elegant and detail-rich paintings. His is a very traditional vision, as he brings readers inside a stately colonial home, tastefully appointed with wreaths, garlands, and stockings. In a particularly nice bit of design, when the narrator "Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash," readers can do the same, opening a double-page gatefold that reveals a quiet village blanketed by snow-and a sleigh silhouetted against the moon. It's a gorgeous interpretation of a beloved holiday classic. All ages. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

"Charles Santore's breathtaking [books] include the nostalgia-laden The Night Before Christmas , a Snow White whose evil queen exhibits the kind of chilling sensuality we associate with Swinburne's poetry, The Wizard of Oz wonderfully reimagined, and a rumbustious Aesop's Fables , as well as half dozen other children's favorites." -- Michael Dirda, The Washington Post   Excerpted from The Night Before Christmas Hardcover: The Classic Edition, the New York Times Bestseller by Clement Moore All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.