'Twas the Night Before Christmas Or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas

"Lushly textured pencil drawings capture the mystery, surprise, and anticipation of . . . the most magical night of the year." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Once upon a time, children imagined St. Nicholas as a stern, skinny bishop who was as likely to dole out discipline as Christmas presents. But thanks to the anonymous publication of the poem "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" in the TROY SENTINAL in 1823, a plumper, merrier St. Nick was born, transformed into the sleigh-riding, chimney-diving, jolly old elf we now call Santa Claus. Complemented by gorgeous monochrome illustrations that are meticulously true to pre-Victorian times, this definitive volume of 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, honoring the poem's original language, is now available in a compact gift edition.

Matt Tavares is the author-illustrator of three baseball-inspired favorites: ZACHARY'S BALL, OLIVER'S GAME, and MUDBALL. He lives in Ogunquit, Maine.