The Night Before Christmas Hardcover

“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.)” –Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

Charles Santore’s renowned illustrations have been widely exhibited in museums and celebrated with recognitions such as the prestigious Hamilton King Award, the Society of Illustrators Award of Excellence, and the Original Art 2000 Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators. Santore is best known for his luminous interpretations of classic children’s stories such as Snow White, The Night Before Christmas and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Paul Revere’s Ride, which was named 2004 Children’s Book of the Year for Poetry by the Bank Street College Children’s Book Committee. His illustrations for The Wizard of Oz, which is widely considered to be the quintessential illustrated version, were used as the scenic backdrops for a major television performance of the work.

Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) was a professor at New York City’s General Theological Seminary (built on land donated by his father) who, in an 1836 reprint of A Visit From St. Nicholas (more commonly known today as Twas the Night Before Christmas), was first credited as the author of the poem, and later included it in an anthology of his work.