'Twas the Night Before Christmas: Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas - Hardcover

Anonymous

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763615854 ISBN 13: 9780763615857

Publisher: Candlewick, 2002

Synopsis

Dramatic, authentically rendered monochrome illustrations, accented with gold foil, bring a Christmas classic to life.

Once upon a time, children imagined St. Nicholas as a stern, skinny bishop who was as likely to dole out discipline as Christmas presents. But thanks to the anonymous publication of the poem "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" in the TROY SENTINEL in 1823, a plumper, merrier St. Nick was born, transformed into the sleigh-riding, chimney-diving, jolly old elf we now call Santa Claus.

This immensely popular, hugely influential poem - better known by its first line, " ’Twas the night before Christmas" - now gets its just treatment as an American icon. Featuring gorgeous monochrome illustrations that are painstakingly true to pre-Victorian times, this definitive edition reflects the original spelling and punctuation - and is published anonymously, just as it was in 1823, in keeping with the controversy over who really wrote this marvelous work.

About this title

About the Author

Matt Tavares is the author-illustrator of ZACHARY'S BALL. While researching the elegantly detailed illustrations in ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, he studied the Gibson House, a brownstone in Boston’s historic Back Bay, and also spent time in the decorative arts wing of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. "As a child," he recalls, "I would lie quietly in bed on Christmas Eve, unable to sleep, listening carefully for any sign that Santa Claus and his reindeer might be on the roof. There were times when I was sure I heard sleigh bells. But I never experienced the thrill of actually seeing him come down the chimney. Maybe someday. . . ."

Reviews

What Tavares's (Zachary's Ball) monochrome art for this famous poem may lack in seasonal palette, it more than makes up for in authenticity. The artist pays homage to the original text, incorporating the spellings and phrasings of 1823, the year in which the verse first appeared in a Troy, N.Y., newspaper. Stark yet lushly textured pencil drawings, recalling the work of Chris Van Allsburg, capture the mystery, surprise and anticipation of what many children consider the most magical night of the year. The finely wrought portraits and shadowy, snow-covered Victorian setting will enchant. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. A search on Amazon for "Night before Christmas" turns up a total of 216 hits, with versions from Rugrats to Cajun to a series that goes state by state. This handsome new edition with evocative pencil illustrations will satisfy those looking for a low-key, very traditional treatment of the old Christmas rhyme. Tavares says in an introduction that he used the exact version of the poem as it was first published, and in keeping with the work's original place and time, the house is filled with Dickensian-era detail. The paper's texture comes through to give the illustrations a tactile feeling, and the use of light shining from clear directions and the unusual perspectives are reminiscent of Chris Van Allsburg's pencil work. Although not a must-buy, this is a fine choice for libraries needing another version of the classic story. Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763615854
• ISBN 13: 9780763615857
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Tavares Matt
• Number of pages: 32