The Night before Christmas: A visit from St. Nicholas is a twist on the original story. This fun poetry book will sure get you in the Christmas spirit with cute little extras like the description of St. Nick. I am a little on the fence about the illustrations of this book, but overall I enjoyed it. ( )

The Night before Christmas is the classic Christmas poem. Clement C. Moore uses the technique of rhyming to tell his story. The words on the pages flow together. Since this is a classic poem, Max Grover, the illustrator, uses his illustrations to give his own twist to the story. His pictures tell the story of a family being too late to get the last Christmas tree so it is left alone in the lot. The family goes to sleep, but the parents wake up when they hear noise. They watch as St. Nick and his reindeer fill the neighborhood with presents. The story ends with St. Nick putting a shining star on the lonely tree. This is a story that has been told countless times and will continue to remain a classic. ( )