THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Exquisite illustrations, impeccable design and a snowy, surprising conclusion add up to a memorable interpretation of the beloved Christmas poem. Puttapipat’s illustrations are silhouettes in black and white with highlights of deep red, green and shiny gold, and though the silhouette style is an old one, in the hands of this talented artist, the approach is refreshingly new. The large format using heavy paper includes a window on several pages, each offering a glimpse into the next spread, as well as a flap on the first spread that allows the family’s Victorian home to open up like a doll house. Children will enjoy finding the tiny details in this view of the house and then looking for them in succeeding spreads from other perspectives. The carefully chosen font, gold page borders and patterned endpapers are further indications of the volume’s thoughtful design, along with the cover in holly-berry red with Santa and the reindeer in flight. The final spread is a complete surprise: a spectacularly gorgeous, intricately designed pop-up scene of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer taking off from the rooftop with the snow-covered city buildings behind. (Picture book. 3-adult)