About This Book:
All are cozy on this Christmas Eve night. This modern retelling starts with a family dressing the Christmas tree and setting out cookies and milk for a special visitor, while a delightful winter cityscape dazzles outside. Though the city never quite sleeps, the family inside—including the cat—are all snuggled up tight. But when a clatter wakes up one child and they glimpse St. Nick’s sleigh and eight reindeer from the window, a magical meeting occurs.
*Review Contributed by Adrien Carter, Newsletter Manager and Staff Reviewer*
The Night Before Christmas is a modern retelling of the Christmas classic that features a Black Santa. While the city never really sleeps, the family in the home sleeps until a noise wakes a child, who catches glimpses of St. Nick’s sleigh and his reindeer.
What I Liked: The inside cover of this book sets the scene with the family preparing for Christmas, while the inside back cover shows a scene after the gifts have been opened. The book follows the classic tale of The Night Before Christmas, with slight differences that feature a Black family preparing for Christmas, such as the mother in a kerchief and a child in a cap. This book also features Black Santa, making for an inclusive and diverse story. The vibrant illustrations do a great job of keeping a young audience engaged as they see the fun interactions a child has with Santa and all that goes into preparing for Christmas Day.
Final Verdict: The Night Before Christmas is a fun retelling of the Christmas classic we are all familiar with, suitable for children ages 4 and up. The subtle differences in this book make for an inclusive story in which Black children can see themselves in this celebration of Christmas. Adults will love revisiting this classic tale and delight in the small differences that this modern retelling includes throughout the story.
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