The Nights Before Christmas ill. by Tony Ross
Koala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742761404
As December begins what better way to herald the coming of Christmas
than to share, each night, or day, a classic story of the season as
each door of the Advent calendar is opened.
The Nights Before Christmas collection features a variety of
traditional stories, poems and songs as well as extracts from
newspapers and letters with a forward by illustrator Tony Ross. His
intention in assembling this collection is to remember the
preparation for, and anticipation of, Christmas Day through sharing
stories from the past, illustrated in his easily recognised style.
Beginning with Clement Moore's classic A Visit from St Nicolas,
the collection features a German folk story and Hans Christian
Anderson's Fir Tree celebrating the Christmas tree tradition, though
Professor Branestawm's Christmas Tree features a far from
traditional tree.
The King James Bible version of The Nativity reminds us of the
origin of the Christmas Story. Tolstoy's Papa Panov's Special
Christmas , Good King Wencelas and an extract from Little
Women, celebrate giving to the poor whilst an extract from
Dickens' Christmas Carol features Scrooge at his cold
hearted best. The extract from The New York Times, reporting the
Christmas truce between soldiers fighting in the trenches in
Northern France during World War One, reflects the Christmas message
of peace and goodwill.
The cold and frozen northern winter features in stories from The
Snow Queen and The Little Match Girl as is the wintery
garden created by the selfishness of The Selfish Giant.
Of course no Christmas collection can ignore the presence of Santa
who is celebrated by the quirky Letter to Suzy penned by her
father, Samuel Clements, Baum's A Kidnapped Santa Claus and
the iconic Yes Virginia, There is a Santa.
Whilst the compendium has a definite European traditional focus,
adult readers are sure to be reminded of Christmases past as they
share with the younger generation.
Sue Keane