’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

An old Christmas poem is paired with Mr. Boddington’s distinctive illustration style.

Linear brush strokes, multiple patterns, flat perspectives, and blocks of pink distinguish the illustrations accompanying this rendition of the familiar Christmas chestnut. The text of the poem is set in couplets against bubbles or solid background colors. Busy pictures show a brown-skinned family sleeping inside a multistory residence set in a small, Christmas-themed village, with Santa’s sleigh and reindeer riding above. Elves with various skin tones and hair textures assist Santa, who is White, with the deliveries. Going down the chimney and inside the narrator’s home, the elves explore playfully while Santa finds a moment to sit, smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper. The perspective of the spreads resembles a view into a dollhouse. Santa’s list of major cities to visit includes Nairobi, Rio, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Mumbai, among other destinations, but the names on his list of “nice” children (and pets) are noticeably and disappointingly not nearly so international in character. Text within the illustrations adds details to the story, including a nod to Jean-Michel Basquiat on the family’s kitchen bulletin board. Santa’s sleigh takes off into the star-studded night sky above a zoo filled with active animals in the middle of the red and green town. This unexpected combination of old poetry with a modern artistic style will find an enthusiastic audience in Mr. Boddington’s existing fans and may win the design studio new ones as well. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This fresh take on an old text is worth checking out.