Gullah Night Before Christmas

A version, told in the Gullah dialect, of the familiar poem about the annual Christmas visit of Santa Claus in which "Sandy Claw" is represented by "Buh Rabbit."

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

"Teachers, and students and parents will laugh out loud at this parody of the frenetic pace of holiday happenings at schools."--Copley News Service What do excited students, craft projects, room mothers, nursing home visits, harried shopping, and near-disastrous pageants have in common? They are all a part of a teacher's pre-Christmas experience. In this energetic romp through a school's last days before the Christmas break, the students are full of energy and are up to all manners of mischief. The teachers are pulling out their hair trying to keep the students busy, while they despair over their own Christmas preparations. Who should come to the rescue? Santa himself, of course! He arrives at the helm of a flying school bus, with presents for all the teachers and a promise to take care of their shopping for them. The fantastic illustrations work with the text to make this a fast-paced, high-energy comedic interpretation of Clement C. Moore's classic poem. The book is sure to be a read-aloud favorite at Christmas parties in schools everywhere.

"'Twas the night before Christmas . . ." and Texas is ready and waiting for old Santy to appear. You may know the story, but you've never heard it like this before. Based on Clement C. Moore's poem, Texas Night Before Christmas is filled with images of the Lone Star State, whimsical illustrations, and playful text. It's an icy Christmas Eve as this Texas family prepares for Santy's visit. A great ruckus arouses Pa, and he spies Santy himself in full Western garb: rawhide suit, Stetson, and cowboy boots. He fills the young'uns' waiting boots, then warms himself a while before leaving for his next stop. As Ma and Pa lose sight of him in the fog, Santy calls out, "Merry Christmas, y'heah? And y'all have a good night!"

In this version of the famous poem, Santy pays an Ozark family a visit on Christmas Eve with his pet raccoon and gifts of musical instruments for a fine backwoods jig.

In the style of Clement Moore's well-known poem, the firefighters from Firehouse One receive a visit from Ol' Sergeant Nick, who leaves them lots of surprises, including a shiny new pumper truck, while they are putting out a fire on Christmas Eve.

An adaptation of the famous poem about a Christmas Eve visitor, set in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. Includes a pie recipe and information about Belsnickel and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.

For: Harry Russell Sr.