A classic Christmas tale re-told for modern times by the Poet Laureate, with illustrations by Rob Ryan It's the night before Christmas and a young girl creeps like a mouse down the stairs, determined to find out for certain whether Santa is real. But she falls asleep within seconds... Soon, Santa and his reindeer land on her roof-top and when he bursts out of her fireplace she is woken up to a room filled with magic. As she watches him fly off into the night, she knows that she will never forget this sight because, at Christmas, the best gift of all is belief. Carol Ann Duffy's twenty-first-century reworking of the Victorian Christmas classic is filled with her characteristic warmth, wit and imagination and, illustrated by the sophisticated, romantic and truly original Rob Ryan, it will be the perfect gift this Christmas.

A poem about the visit that Santa Claus pays to the children of the world during the night before every Christmas.

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, We were sticky and sweaty 'cause this is the South." This is how the night before Christmas begins in the South. The weather may be balmy sometimes, but Southerners can still put on a Christmas celebration like no other. No matter the weather or the state, there's no mistaking Santa loves the South. This fun, whimsically illustrated version of the traditional "Night Before Christmas" is perfect for families to read aloud at their annual celebrations. Merry Christmas, y'all! "As he flew overhead, he exclaimed in delight: 'Blessed Christmas to y'all and to y'all a good night!'" - 28 Pages

A version in Cajun dialect of the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas," set in a Louisiana bayou.

It has been nearly two centuries since the first publication of A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. Since my earliest memory of Christmas, like countless other folks, I have revisited the poem every year and have derived pleasure from each reading. It never gets old. When my wife encountered cancer in 1992, a certain reallocation of marital tasks became necessary. So for going on three decades, I've composed our annual Christmas letter to family and friends. In 2020, bogged down with the pandemic and seeking a change of pace, I wrote an imagined sequel to the tale and sent it off to the core of our mailing list, about seventy households. It may have been an effect of the season or simply an impulsive act of comity or affection, but there were an unexpected number of responses, some of which suggested that wider publication should be explored. So here we are. I do hope you enjoy this variation and share it with your family. Merry Christmas.

Special 10th anniversary edition of an Aussie holiday favourite. Twas the night before Christmas; there wasnt a sound. Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around. Wed left on the table some tucker and beer, Hoping that Santa Claus soon would be here. Christmas in the middle of an Australian summer means Santa has to find new ways to deliver his presents. The obvious solutions are to don a sunhat, shorts and a pair of thongs, not to mention ditching the sleigh and reindeer in favour of some roos and a ute. The gentle illustrations are packed with familiar icons cleverly woven into the visual narrative to recreate the warm, comforting, family atmosphere that Christmas is all about.

The familiar poem about a well-known Christmas Eve visitor.