Another Night Before Christmas

An excellent story, written magnificently

If you are after an updated version of the classic to read to your children that they will just find more relatable than the original then this is not for you. If on the other hand you are after an overly long self indulgent moan about modern life then go for it. The illustrations and presentation are beautiful, but if you are going to deliver an overall slam on society then why bother: That’s what Twitter is for.

This is a modern reinterpretation of the poem 'Twas the night before Christmas', and reading this is a lot more enjoyable if you have read the original.This poem has the same humour and lyrical rhyme scheme as the original, but is modernised and talks about TV and celebrities. The plot is a girl who sets out to find if Santa is real, (anymore would spoil it), and the story is so charming it made me feel very christmasey.The illustrations, (see below), are simple but very beautiful, they are black silohettes on white, so it looks almost like shadow puppetry.All in all this is a tiny book which makes it a perfect stocking filler and I would recommend it as a Christmas gift for the children in your life or just the adults who get irrationally excited by the magic of the season, (like me).Also there is no mention of any religion in the poem, so would be an equally good gift for an atheist who celebrates Christmas and a Christian.

The Book was smaller than I expected - palm size square, and the font is quite small to read. If I'd realised, a Kindle purchase would have been better so that I can enlarge the text.

This little book encapsulates everything that Christmas is (or should be): a magical time where everyone can chose to just BELIEVE! I'm 39 yo and I still do!

I love christmas literature, and this one is beautiful visually and content-wise. It was written by UK's Poet Laureate (2009) Carol Ann Duffy so you can't go wrong. This would make a beautiful gift to any one, but so far I have kept mine for myself. :)