Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. Illus. by Raquel Martin

"Twas the night before Christmas
When all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse."

Are there any more recognisable words than these at this time of the year? This poem, by Clement Clarke Moore (although he called it A Visit from St Nicholas) was first published almost 200 years ago on December 23, 1823, has become the perennial favourite for Christmas Eve as it stirs the imagination of generation after generation. From it we get the names of the reindeer and all sorts of other images that endure today.

While it has been published in many formats over that time and illustrated in many media and styles, the text remains the same and so it is with this new version. However, this one includes a wind-up music box mechanism that allows the reader to listen to the music of Deck the Halls, another Christmas tradition, this one Welsh and dating back to the 16th century although the English lyrics weren't written till the mid-19th century.

An opportunity to round off your Christmas Countdown combining two classics in one.

Barbara Braxton