The Night Before Christmas

Starred review from September 14, 2015
Little does Santa know that, in Ercolini’s zippy spin on this holiday poem, he’ll be disembarking at the home of a family of Christmas superfans. Not a creature is stirring, but the house is utterly crammed with decorations. Colored lights adorn the house and the trees in the yard, while ornaments hang from every surface imaginable indoors: the tree, sure, but also the bannister, beds, and walls. And when Santa lands on the roof, he’s dwarfed by a massive inflatable version of himself—naturally he uses the opportunity to take a photo with his reindeer, who are dressed in outrageously dorky costumes as a cowboy, daredevil, and more. The text sticks to the traditional, but readers will be hooting over the hilarious details in Ercolini’s borderline manic cartoons. Ages 3–5. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

October 4, 1999
Firelight, moonglow and shadow flicker throughout Whatley's (Whatley's Quest) interpretation of this holiday chestnut. The protagonist here is adult, residing in a New England hamlet; his home is filled with details seemingly from earlier this century. The book exudes a gee-whiz excitement, but the manic expressions of Santa and his reindeer take the idea of wide-eyed wonder a tad too far, breaking an otherwise magical mood. And the significance of the gift Santa winkingly hands the narrator (a cowboy toy that apparently evokes his boyhood) may befuddle younger readers. All ages.

September 1, 2015
The old-fashioned phrases of the classic Christmas poem are juxtaposed with edgy, contemporary illustrations. An unusual double-page spread serving as the title page defines the scene and the artistic style with a night view of a suburban street. All the houses are dark and undecorated save for a few plain wreaths on front doors. But one house is decidedly different, decorated lavishly with lights, ornaments, inflatable figures, and a "Welcome Santa" sign atop the highest tree. Inside this house, over-the-top decorations also prevail, surrounding the family and the dog, cat, and mouse that appear throughout. The father wears old-fashioned, striped pajamas and a nightcap, and when Santa arrives, he is dressed in a traditional red suit. But the reindeer are dressed in odd costumes that don't relate to anything else. The illustrations, presumably digitally composed, are unusual in style, with all the characters seemingly frozen in their tracks or even in midair. No motion is indicated at all, even for the reindeer in flight or for Santa sprawled on the hearth after his descent. This flat, static effect is emphasized by a cool palette of greens and blues that further subdues the tone. The overall effect makes characters seem like posed robots with no life to them at all. The warm Christmas glow traditionally associated with this classic poem is completely missing in this unusual but ultimately unsuccessful interpretation. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-This over-the-top illustrated version of the holiday classic will be fun to share over and over again. Ercolini has St. Nicholas dropping in on a house that has taken the extreme Christmas decorating challenge seriously. Literally every surface is covered with decorations, and Santa is dwarfed by the huge Santa display on the roof. Sugar plums dance, Dad is reading a decorating magazine while Mom dozes over her knitting, and the cookies for Santa have been replaced by a dessert buffet. VERDICT The cartoon illustrations, full of humor and charm, add a wink and a twinkle that parents and children will enjoy.-Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2015
Preschool-G Moore's classic Christmas poem gets a zany, modern interpretation in this wry picture book from the illustrator of Not Inside This House! (2011). Most of the houses on this snowy block are nondescript, but one stands outit's bedecked from chimney to fence post in Christmas decorations. An inside view reveals an interior festooned in tinsel, blinking lights, and garlands, not to mention a bevy of Santa-themed tchotchkes. Ercolini's angular, cartoonish illustrations, in bright colors, depict the wild enthusiasm of the home owners and the wacky attire of Santa and his helpers (dig that reindeer in pink leg warmers and bangles). A larger-than-usual spread of sweetsnot your typical milk-and-cookies scenariopleases old Saint Nick so much that he gets extra cozy in the family's living room, but when the appointed moment arrives in Moore's verses, he departs with a wink and a Good night! Little ones will have fun looking through the over-the-top illustrations for hilarious details, and they'll likely appreciate the humorous contrast between the wacky visuals and the familiar lines. A wild take on a holiday favorite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)