The Barnyard Night Before Christmas

by Beth Terrill, Greg Newbold (Illustrator)

"NOW BESSIE! NOW, BILLY! NOW, BINGO! NOW, CHICKIE!On, Lambsy! On, Trigger! On, Quacker and Piggy!"And laying his finger aside of his nose,Up, up, Santa Claus and those animals rose. Notice something a little different? Well, in this hilarious retelling of the iconic Clement C. Moore Christmas poem, it's a barnyard full ofmischievous, quarrelsome livestock that gets Santa and his sleigh off the ground this Christmas Eve. With a little ingenuity, a few balloons, and a lot of attitude, they give Santa a Christmas Eve he'll never forget!

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2007

Reviews

[Sandy]

I like reading remakes of this classic and this one was no exception. I tried reading it to my grandson and it got a bit too long for this 3-year-old so we just looked at the pictures and I told him my own version of the story. He liked the illustrations and I saw him later take out the book and was looking through it and telling the story in his own words. In my opinion, that is what reading is all about, taking out a book on your own and going through it – no matter how old you are.
In this version of the story, Santa is “left in a pickle.” Santa’s reindeer can’t fly as they have eaten ‘too much sweet Christmas pudding” and Santa needs to leave for his famous Christmas ride. Back at the farm, the animals are all getting settled inside the barn for the night. Although the mouse wrote to Santa, there is a feeling of hopelessness that Santa will actually visit them tonight, as the animals think about sleep. Then, they heard something! Outside, they all rushed and, in their amazement, they saw Santa standing there in the pasture. He needed their help, but how could these farm animals do what eight flying reindeer accomplish?

What a cute storybook and using your great imagination, this storybook will become a favorite. The illustrations are just amazing!! The facial expressions and the details are spectacular. I loved how Santa was portrayed in the story from the illustrations to his mannerism. The rhythm and rhyme of this book worked without a struggle and I found myself bouncing along as I read it. So many stars and smiles for this book!! 5+ stars

[Kristi Anderson]

Cute story about farmyard animals on Christmas Eve-helping out Santa. Best picture was the animals with balloons around their middles!

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I agree with Pip Mouse. Sometimes all we want for Christmas is Peace.

[Marcyjo Chachakis]

This version of the classic was quite unique and kept my attention to see what happened next. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations, I recommend it to all.

[Katrina Lybbert]

Interesting retelling of a classic Christmas story.

[Lizzy]

This is such a sweet book. I love it! My uncle Greg illustrated it!

[Beverly]

Very cute pictures