★ "Stylized acrylic gouache illustrations burst with charming details--from the art on the walls to the sweeping city landscape--that give the pages an air of lively late-night holiday bustle." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

'Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse...

And so begins the treasured poem by Clement C. Moore and though the words are quite familiar, the art takes a fresh and modern approach to the family and setting.

On Christmas Eve, a little girl is woken by the clatter of Santa's reindeer on her apartment building's roof. When jolly Saint Nick comes down her chimney, she and the other children in their apartment building get swept up in a Christmas adventure.

Filled with enchanting and bright illustrations of a diverse community, readers will see themselves in this modern twist on a perennial tale. Destined to become a forever favorite, this is a holiday story readers will treasure for years to come!

"A warm and welcome retelling." --Kirkus

Author: Hayden Goodman, Clement C. Moore
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 10/14/2025
Pages: 32
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 9.00h x 9.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781250349941

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 45419 / Night Before Christmas/'Twas the Night Before Christmas


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/28/2025
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2025
School Library Journal 09/01/2025 pg. 65

About the Author

Hayden Goodman is an African American painter, illustrator, and character artist born and raised in the wilderness of western Massachusetts. Now based in Connecticut, she works primarily in gouache, painting the witches, goblins and other mysterious creatures from the folklore of her childhood.

Clement C. Moore was a poet and scholar born in 1779, from New York City. He is the original author of the classic holiday tale "Twas the Night Before Christmas," which he dedicated to his nine children. Moore passed away in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 83.