The Visit

by Mark Kimball Moulton, Susan Winget (Illustrator)

In December of 1823, the poem now known as The Night Before Christmas was first published anonymously and has since become the best loved Christmas poem of all time. Now, for the first time in The Visit, Dinghy Sharp, a direct descendant of recognized author Clement Clarke Moore, shares her delightful story with us all, and reveals the history and origin of this beloved poem as it has been passed down for generations in the Moore family.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Holiday

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

8 DEC 2013 - received through Netgalley and Schiff Publishing Ltd. This beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written story provides insight into the story behind 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. As a child, my Mother read "Twas the Night Before Christmas to my sister and me every year. I love this poem and still read it every year at Christmastime. I cannot describe the joy and gratitude I felt in receiving The Visit.

[Terri Jeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for lovers of the beloved poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas." It tells the story of how it came about in verse!
I have been collecting different renditions of this peom/book for years and found this was a perfect addition to help complete (?) my (every growing) collection!
Merry Christmas!!

[Jennybug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story behind the book, "The Night Before Christmas". It rhymes and is nice enough I found it interesting and it told about why the story was written. I enjoyed it but it is not one I can see myself reading over and over again to my grandkids.

[Shae Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book about how 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' poem ever came into being. Such a wonderful tale and full of fun rhyme and verse! If you want a sweet and delightful addition to read at Christmas Time, let me recommend this one!

[Alexa Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a children’s picture book should be. A precious and beautifully illustrated living history book on the origin of Clement Moore’s The Night Before Christmas poem. Excited to add this one to the lineup this year.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

On our first read of Part One this quickly became a household favorite! Ranked up there with our annual read of Nutcracker. The history behind “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” is interesting and heart warming. It’s in poetry form and so well done. This is for adults and kids alike!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely rendition of how the great Christmas poem came to be by the great- great-grandson of the author.

[Peg Funkhouser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children’s book about the classic poem of the night before Christmas by C. C. Moore. It tells how and why he wrote it.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now, we are probably all familiar with the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or a most people call it "The Night before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore. And some of us may be familiar with the controversy over whether or not Moore was the real author of the poem. The poem was written in 1822, and published in 1862 and has been enjoyed by children and adults ever since.

In 2000, Mark Kimball Moulton has a conversation with Dinghy Sharp, the great great granddaughter of Clement Moore and in that conversation, she told Moulton the story about the origin of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that had been handed down in her family for generations. Moulton turned that story into a poem and The Visit is the result.

The story begins in December 1936, when Dinghy, along with her sister, brother and parents were leaving their home in Michigan to visit their grandfather in New York City. They were excited and awed by the train ride they took, by Pennsylvania Station (the old one, not the ugly one there is today), the tall buildings and stores surrounding them, even by the taxi and elevator ride they took - all such new experiences.

Once settled in, their grandfather said he had a gift to share with them. The gift turned out to be the story of how A Visit from St. Nickolas came to be written. Clement Moore was a scholar teaching at Columbia University in 1822. That year, on Christmas Eve, his wife asked him to take the sleigh and go to the butcher before it closed to pick up a Christmas goose. On his way, Moore began to think about the poem he had promised his sick daughter Charity as a gift.

As Moore drove along, he pondered everything he noticed - the sparkling snow, the bright moon shining on the snow, and the white bearded woodsman dressed in red and leaving fresh tinder wood at the homes of the poor. In the end, his wife got her goose and his daughter (and everyone else) got a lovely Christmas poem.

When I was young, I had a Little Golden Book version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that was actually called The Night Before Christmas. Regardless, it has always been a favorite of mine, so it was fun to read about the origin of the the poem. At the end of the book is a hand written 1862 copy of the poem, which is owned by the New York Historical Society (and which I have been luckily enough to see one year).

Moulton wrote The Visit using the same rhyme scheme and in the same anapestic trimeter as the original poem, although sometimes I lost the rhythm while reading. Still, for the most part, it did manage to succeed for such a lengthy story.

The book's detailed illustration are phenomenal. They are done in colors that seem to evoke Christmas of long ago, including the warmth of a fire and the chill of the snow. The detailing was clearly done with great care to get it correct for the time frames that this books covers.

Whether or not you believe that Clement Clarke Moore is the true author of "A Visit from St. Nicholas," The Visit is a lovely story to read during the holiday season.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was an E-ARC from NetGalley

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Visit - The Origin Of the Night Before Christmas
Author: Maek Kimball Moulton
Illustrated By: Susan Winget
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Published: 10-28-2013
ISBN: 9780764345753
Pages: 50
Genre:
Tags:


Most people have either read the poem The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore for his daughter or at least heard of it, but this beautifully illustrated goes even further and tells the legacy of the family's history of the poem as it was passed down through the family. The Vist: The Origin of The Night Before Christmas is book that is kept and read as an annual family tradition.


Young readers will love the illustrations and the older generation will appreciate the memories the story will bring. So next Christmas season tell the story of the first Christmas be sure to entertain the family with a story that has withstood the test of time and the history that goes with it. I adored the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Schiffer Publishing LLC for loaning me the book, it was a pleasure to read and review.

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother and her children visit their grandfather, who tells them the true story behind The Night Before Christmas. Author Clement C. Moore, who on Christmas Eve, promised to tell his daughter a new Christmas story. He came up with “The Night Before Christmas.” The whole story was inspired by a trip to town that night!

The true story about The Night Before Christmas should be in every household! It is based on the true story of how the classic “The Night Before Christmas” came about. The story was passed down through the Moore family and the author was told the story by Dinghy Sharp, the great-great-granddaughter of Mr. Moore. It is a great book, and you learn a bit about the time when it was written. I think this is a great Christmas book and an interesting part of history. The illustrations in this edition are beautiful and add a lot to the story.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Destiny Dawn Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

A full review is available on my blog: http://destinydawnlong.wordpress.com/...

Excerpt:

"My favorite part, though, is the very end. That’s because a copy of the original poem, in Moore’s own handwriting, is included. The old cursive may be a challenge for some to read, but how wonderful to see it in the author’s own hand! (It can even be used to give older children a history lesson on “primary source documents”.) The book was very thoughtfully executed. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. If anyone has been looking for the perfect Christmas book to gift to a kid, look no further."

[Tracie Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book while working at a local library and then bought a copy! It is a delightful take of how "The Night Before Christmas " came about. The poem which passed through generations of the Moore family, is a heartwarming classic. This story was told to the author, and is written in rhyming meters that just flow and warm your heart. This is a great read-a-loud and I intend to share it with my granddaughter. 5/5⭐s

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite holiday story! This book recounts the story behind the writing of Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem - Twas the Night Before Christmas, by his great-great grandson (I think it was). It's written in the same wonderful prose, and is a touching holiday read for all ages. I cry every year when I read it aloud to my children. Rhyming text

Read every December 22nd.

[Bekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley.com and Schiffer Publishing for early access to this title.

Very cute! I loved the illustrations! They're kind of in an more old-fashioned style than many illustrations today. I also thoroughly enjoyed this true story of the origin of "The Night Before Christmas." This is a great book to read to children for Christmas!

[Angypants · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed "The Visit", I wanted a bit more from this title. The story of the origin of "The Night Before Christmas" was actually quite cute, and well told. The beginning almost didn't pull me in, and some of the layout was just okay at times. Overall, a recommended title for fans of the classic Christmas poem, as this ultimately is enjoyable.

I was provided a copy via Netgalley.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I bought it several years ago for my mom and then I got myself one too. It has great illustrations, and includes many of the details from the original story by Clement C. Moore...as told by his relative. It is in a nice jacket case and I love to read it every Christmas to the little ones.

[Sara B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone has heard of the Night Before Christmas. It is beautifully with awesome pictures. This is another must one book. It is enjoyed by both adults and children alike. Wonderful! My daughter really enjoys this book very much!

[Nanci Booher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I am in love with this book. It took me right back to being a kid, standing around my grandmother's tree and wondering what was underneath. Told with beautiful illustrations and rhyming text, this is surely to be a new must own Holiday book.

[Ea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, poetry. Ah, Christmas. Ah, everything about this.
The Night Before Christmas is among my favourite poems, whether it's for the seasonal feel or the lovely story I cannot say, but this sweet revisit didn't make me enjoy it any less. Absolutely lovely.

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful keepsake. Tale of the writing of The Night Before Christmas as told to Clement Moore's descendants.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC supplied by publisher via NetGalley

[Cheya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book that I am going to be sharing each Christmas with my family.
For more check my blog: http://readfromatoz.blogspot.com/2016...

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

So wonderful to have a little background to "The Night Before Christmas"! Loved it.