Moore, Clement Clarke, 1779-1863

Almazova, Elena, illustrator

Shvarov, Vitaly, illustrator.

This edition of the classic poem stays true to the spirit of Clement C. Moore's (1779-1863) portrayal of Christmas Eve. Legend has it Moore composed the poem for his family on Christmas Eve 1822 during a sleigh ride home from Greenwich Village. It is likely he found his imagery in literary sources, most notably Washington Irving's Knickerbocker History (1809) and from The Children's Friend (1821).

Twas the Night Before Christmas was first published as A Visit From St. Nicholas in the New York newspaper The Troy Sentinal on December 23, 1823. It has been cherished by readers of all ages ever since.

The important edits to this edition were done out of care for younger readers. [Description on inside flap]

Publisher Pamela McColl of Grafton and Scratch removed these lines from the original text: "The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth. And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath."

2012