Comments on: The Night Before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/ Tips & Ideas For An Enjoyable Merry Christmas Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:06:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/comment-page-1/#comment-466 Anonymous Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:20:09 +0000 http://christmastips.org/?p=609#comment-466 I realy thought that this book was a really good book i have read it to my sisters many times and we read it every Christmas Eve before they go to bed. they really enjoy the story and i enjoy very much to read it to them. this book is a really greay book and is a great book for all children at ant time of the year but most of all during the Christmas season. The writer of this book did a spactacular job and the pictures are wonderful and life like. everyone did a great job with this book! Rating: 5 / 5 I realy thought that this book was a really good book i have read it to my sisters many times and we read it every Christmas Eve before they go to bed. they really enjoy the story and i enjoy very much to read it to them. this book is a really greay book and is a great book for all children at ant time of the year but most of all during the Christmas season. The writer of this book did a spactacular job and the pictures are wonderful and life like. everyone did a great job with this book!
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Cherele Hellem http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/comment-page-1/#comment-465 Cherele Hellem Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:03:10 +0000 http://christmastips.org/?p=609#comment-465 This book is exactly what I was looking for. The quality of pictures is both nostalgic and whimsical. The well known story is in print even grandma can read! The holiday spirit is alive and well in this book. Rating: 5 / 5 This book is exactly what I was looking for. The quality of pictures is both nostalgic and whimsical. The well known story is in print even grandma can read! The holiday spirit is alive and well in this book.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Jared Castle http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/comment-page-1/#comment-464 Jared Castle Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:50:47 +0000 http://christmastips.org/?p=609#comment-464 The 5-star reviews for this book ignore the fact that Jan Brett's illustrations are Hollywoodesque and distracting from the classic poem itself. Betraying the golden rule -- If it isn't broken, don't fix it -- Brett inserts in to additional characters. Nearly a third of the book features two unnamed elves who play with the toys and generally cause havoc on the roof as Santa fills the stockings. <br /> <br />Instead of enhancing Clement Moore's poem, the illustrations scream for attention. The effect drowns out the lyrical quality of this classic story. Often on facing pages you are bombarded with two full-page illustrations bookended by six additional panels, three on each side. Your eyes can only skip and stutter across the pages or risk losing any semblance of a storyteller's cadence. <br /> <br />This book was especially disappointing because earlier during that same bedtime reading session we enjoyed Christmas Magic by Sue Stainton and illustrated by Eva Melhuish. That book is an excellent example of how the marriage of story and illustrations can work magic for children. <br /> <br />I wrote a 5-star review for a beautiful version of Clement Moore's The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Douglas W. Gorsline and recommend you buy that book instead. Don't give up hunting for an out-of-print copy, if necessary. Gorsline's illustrations are heartwarming and true to the original poem. Rating: 2 / 5 The 5-star reviews for this book ignore the fact that Jan Brett’s illustrations are Hollywoodesque and distracting from the classic poem itself. Betraying the golden rule — If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it — Brett inserts in to additional characters. Nearly a third of the book features two unnamed elves who play with the toys and generally cause havoc on the roof as Santa fills the stockings.

Instead of enhancing Clement Moore’s poem, the illustrations scream for attention. The effect drowns out the lyrical quality of this classic story. Often on facing pages you are bombarded with two full-page illustrations bookended by six additional panels, three on each side. Your eyes can only skip and stutter across the pages or risk losing any semblance of a storyteller’s cadence.

This book was especially disappointing because earlier during that same bedtime reading session we enjoyed Christmas Magic by Sue Stainton and illustrated by Eva Melhuish. That book is an excellent example of how the marriage of story and illustrations can work magic for children.

I wrote a 5-star review for a beautiful version of Clement Moore’s The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Douglas W. Gorsline and recommend you buy that book instead. Don’t give up hunting for an out-of-print copy, if necessary. Gorsline’s illustrations are heartwarming and true to the original poem.
Rating: 2 / 5

]]> By: ChickenSoup http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/comment-page-1/#comment-463 ChickenSoup Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:22:14 +0000 http://christmastips.org/?p=609#comment-463 it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one Rating: 4 / 5 it’s a classic, so of course you can’t go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there… well, I’m sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one
Rating: 4 / 5

]]> By: Robin Cline http://christmastips.org/the-night-before-christmas-a-visit-from-st-nicholas/comment-page-1/#comment-462 Robin Cline Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:04:56 +0000 http://christmastips.org/?p=609#comment-462 If you're looking for a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations to pass down the generations, look elsewhere. This book is terrible! I decided to purchase this book based on the glowing reviews, but instead of a book filled with "beautiful illustrations" and "drawings" as stated, I'm sitting here looking at a one filled with tacky photos of Santa and reindeer tacked on by computer. Very disappointing!!! Rating: 1 / 5 If you’re looking for a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations to pass down the generations, look elsewhere. This book is terrible! I decided to purchase this book based on the glowing reviews, but instead of a book filled with “beautiful illustrations” and “drawings” as stated, I’m sitting here looking at a one filled with tacky photos of Santa and reindeer tacked on by computer. Very disappointing!!!
Rating: 1 / 5

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