Bookwitch

I have been in a quandary over this. Do I save mentioning The Night Before Christmas until the night before Christmas, when you’ll be in the right mood? Hopefully. Or do I mention it now, while there’s time to dash out and get a copy?

This new book with the old well known poem by Clement C. Moore and new illustrations by Niroot Puttapipat, is so special, that I think sending you all to the nearest bookshop is a good move.

The poem is the same as always, but the illustrations… Wow! Niroot has done some beautiful black and white drawings, with a touch of red and green and gold in places. It’s the house of your dreams in a Christmassy snowy landscape.

I don’t know the technical terms for this, but there are cut-outs, and flaps, and things. You see both the outside and the inside of the house. You see through windows. (Yes, I know you do generally, but this is special.) There are open doorways. Lots of lovely little details. And then the most incredible cut-out of Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Don’t leave your child alone with this book, whatever you do! But read it with them. Lots of times.