THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement C. Moore and illustrated by Rachel Isadora
Isadora continues her series of traditional tales recast in African settings with this novel interpretation of the classic poem. Snow is magically falling on a village on the savanna as the first few pages lead Santa and his reindeer to a cozy home with three sleeping children. This memorable Santa has dark skin, white dreadlocks, a kente-cloth belt and giraffe-print pants, with striped fur decorating his red jacket. The stunning collage illustrations are filled with traditional clothing, patterned fabrics and handmade toys for the children’s gifts. Even the reindeer have special beaded collars and kente-cloth wrappers around their ankles. The entire book is exquisitely designed, from the vibrant hand-cut letters on the cover to the final spread with the amazed family watching Santa’s sleigh in silhouette against a full golden moon. (Picture book. 3-7)