The Night After Christmas

by James Stevenson

Chauncey the dog finds new homes for Teddy and Annie, who were thrown out after being replaced by newer toys

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Holiday, Fiction, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads databse.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this four stars out of nostalgia as I saw it at the library and felt instantly that it was something I'd loved in my childhood. I remember my childhood self finding some of the things quite funny, even though the overall poignancy of old toys being thrown away at Christmas was absolutely horrifying (I kept ALL my dolls, and loved them to tatters!)

[M Sahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I have forgotten this book? This was one of the first very few books I owned when I was hardly 10 years old, what a beautiful story. Waiting for the nostalgia to pass... Man i miss being a kid..

I used to feel like that toy. Cold and alone. When he found his new home. I always got a warm and fuzzy feeling like I was the one that found a new home.

Thank you to all those who read this review because your notifications remind me of the books i’ll treasure forever.

[Christy Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a picture book I ran across in a stack of holiday books that my mother,a former schoolteacher, had had in her classroom library years ago. I am a bit surprised at the 4 and 5 star ratings of some and chalk it up to nosalgia for a book read in childhood because the writing in this strikes me as choppy and the ending couldn't be more abrupt. The story strikes me as a bit of a downer never mind the confusion I felt as to why the toys, which seemed perfectly fine, were being discarded. Perhaps the story is just dated; today, at a minimum with a awareness of environmentalism, I would at least hope for the toys to be donated unless beyond repair. In any case, this is one book I will be passing along as it isn't a holiday book I would want to re-read.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

WoW! This book really touched my heart so very much! The book is set after Christmas in the garbage cans. Teddy and a doll named, Annie, have been thrown out in the trash because their kid just got new toys. That's when they meet a dog that changes their lives. No spoilers! I highly recommend this book to kids of all ages. What a beautiful book too bad I can't get a physical copy! I would love it for my forever shelf!

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy and a doll named Annie find themselves put out with the trash the day after the big event when their children receive newer, "better" toys. Can Chauncy, a stray dog, find new homes for them?

A sweet story, highlighted by Stevenson's always delightful, cartoonish illustrations.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poignant and learning about feelings. Sweet.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was not a good book to read aloud, poorly written...krb 12/19/18

[Bree READERISFP · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wait so they took they toys but left the dog...... what the hell type of book is this!

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it's hard for me to read James Stevenson books. There's something about the style of his artwork that is so reminiscent of the great depression. But that makes sense because he is born in 1929 at the start of the great depression. And so the first 10 years of his life the country is in a great depression.

All that said, I do love the kindness this story shows. I love how we get to see how the bear and the doll deal differently with tragedy. I love the solutions the dog tries to provide and ultimately provides.

A person could do so much analysis on this book. How do you tend to deal with tragedy? With optimism, pessimism, realism? How do you tend to process through hard times? With moving towards something happy or sitting down in the moment and feeling your feelings deeply and not rushing the process. Do we have a duty to help those who are going through hard times? How is one of the best ways to help them? Can we be all things to all people?

The book is profound in the questions it can bring up and in the different ways it shows us of looking at life.

[Children's Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the writing at all. The dialogue between the 3 characters is so tedious and flat, and there are too many dialogue tags which makes it even more tedious and flat.

The story is not very strong or interesting and it ends a bit abruptly.

The illustrations are ok-ish, but the proportions between the doll and the teddy bear are not always consistent. Sometimes the doll looks like a doll, and sometimes she looks like a little girl. On one illustration the illustrator got carried away and the doll is human-sized when she sits on the sofa and she says to the teddy bear, "How can you be so stupid?"

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhhh, a sad holiday book! That is a tough one but for every positive about this celebration there are negatives and Stevenson points that out with his insightful text and wonderful illustrations. Yes, sadly too much in our society is disposable!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up because I would have loved this when I was a child. Great alternative to traditional stories for the holiday.

I hadn't realized that I'd enjoyed several by Stevenson already; I'll have to look for more.

[Maexo♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an endearing little book! The book began sad, but I'm happy with how it ended. The illustrations were like scribble art, which I liked. It didn't seem like a very Christmas book, but I appreciated the message.

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing book about the harsh reality of Christmas capitalism. It has a happy ending, but aside from that I loved it.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite a sad book for Christmas, but yet also beautiful. I remember really liking this book as a child. Ultimately uplifting.

[Megan]

Loved the short film based on this story since I was a kid, and was curious what the original tale was about. Prefer the film but a cute little story all the same

[Literary Strawberry]

well that was depressing

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

{Reklame/anmeldereksemplar}

Natten efter juleaften er oprindeligt skrevet helt i starten af 80’erne, men er for nylig blevet oversat til dansk. Bogen handler om Annie og Teddy, som er blevet smidt ud af de børn, der plejede at have dem.
Historien har dybde, men er stadig forståelig for de mindste, som netop er målgruppen.
Generelt er det en super fin og sød historie, og tegningerne er flotte og interessante at kikke på i en meget klassisk stil. Det er ikke, fordi de virker særlig udvidende i forhold til teksten — men understøttende.

Nogle gange (det lyder lidt mærkeligt at sige, når bogen er sådan 30 sider, men: nogle gange) kunne jeg godt lidt få den følelse, at jeg ikke rigtigt forstod pointen. Det bunder nok primært i, at Teddy og Annie er nogle meget passive karakterer. Og ja, jeg er klar over, at de er en bamse og en dukke, men come on … De kan tale, for himlens skyld!
Og med det mener jeg ikke, at det gjorde bogen dårlig eller uinteressant, men de to er bare lidt hjemme hos hunden Chauncey i en eller anden mærkelig loftagtig bygning i ret lang tid, hvor de bare eksisterer.
For mig er moralen måske ikke så tydelig, og det synes jeg ellers er noget af det vigtigste i bøger for små børn. Der er en pointe i slutningen, en positiv slutning, hvor Annie og Teddy (antageligvis) får sig et hjem hos nogle børn, der holder af dem.
Og det er både sødt, fint og godt. Noget som helt sikkert vil falde i dem, som bliver læst højt fors, smag. Hvilket er superpositivt.

Både Annie og Teddy er også søde og sjove karakterer, som det er let at synes om.
De kæmper bare ikke. De knokler ikke for til sidst at blive elsket af nogle børn. Og det er muligvis bare mig, der er lidt for analytisk og har arbejdet på lidt for mange romaner selv, men hvis en karakter virkelig skal finde hele vejen ind i læserens hjerte, skal man se dem på deres værste.
Og Annie Teddy er tæt på at nå dertil. Man holder af dem og hepper på dem. Jeg kan godt anbefale bogen, da den egentligt har det, en fod billedbog skal have: flotte tegninger, karakterer, man kan synes om eller se sig selv i, og en god slutning. Det er der alt sammen, og til trods for mine kritikpunkter, er det stadig en god bog, som helt sikkert er værd at læse, jeg følte bare ikke noget ekstraordinært — men nu er min litterære referenceramme jo også liiiidt bredere end en fireårigs, om end det virker usandsynligt.
Natten efter juleaften er en sød historie om det legetøj, børnene ikke længere vil have, og hvordan det får et nyt hjem.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

In THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, Teddy, a stuffed bear, and Annie, a doll, find themselves in the garbage after their children get new toys for Christmas. Luckily, a dog named Chauncey rescues them from being taken to the dump. Chauncey takes them to his home. After a short while, Teddy and Annie get really sad and lonely living in the storage room. One day Chauncey decides to take them somewhere special. Chauncey takes them to a public school and places them on at the entrance walls. When the bell rings the children run out past the wall so they can go home. When the noise of the children calms down, Chauncey looks at the walls Teddy and Annie are gone--both being found by children from the school. The last illustration shows Teddy and Annie with their new children. This is a cute story with pretty illustrations. We really enjoyed it.

[Eva Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one made ALL THREE of us cry, and if Mikey understood it, I bet he'd cry too. Or maybe he'd just cry anyway. I mean, he is a baby.
But see, there's this doll and this teddy bear? They get thrown away after Christmas because their kids got better toys. Now what kind of spoiled kid would do something like that? But the good news is, they meet this dog named Chauncey who takes care of them and finds them a new home. And in the end, THAT'S when you cry!! I'm warning you!
One of the best happy ones ever, and it's about Christmas, too, which makes it extra good! Plus it has a bonus: SNOW!! So five stars, yea!!!

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, Virginia, there is a reason that libraries have book sales to get rid of old dilapidated out of print picture books like "The Night after Christmas", a book with the heartwarming message that if you leave old, germy toys out, some kid is bound to be gullible enough to take it home. What is up with the name "Chauncey" anyway? Recommended for anyone who found "Velveteen Rabbit" too profound and "Corduroy" too high art.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction; Juvenile/Christmas
3.5 stars

My daughter liked this book more than I did. It is cute in it's own way but kind of sad really. Two toys thrown out because the kids got new ones for Christmas? (I would much prefer to teach children about the benefits of donating used toys)

In the end, the discarded toys find new homes so it does have some redeeming qualities.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love kids' picture books, provided the pictures and story are wonderful and that the story isn't written in verse. This book was touching throughout, tho a wee bit sad at the end. Highly recommend.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, heartwarming story about lost toys. Two toys, a teddy bear and doll, get tossed out when their owners get new Christmas toys. With the help of Chauncey the dog, they may just find happiness the night after Christmas. =)

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens to all those Christmas toys once they are replaced by new ones? Annie, the doll and Teddy the bear ask Chauncy, the dog for advice. He has a big surprise waiting for him in the end and your heart will be touched.

[Alexandria K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book is a little sad, but it had a happy ending.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

sorrow rivalling toy story 3

[Jeani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so heartfelt and beautiful. The only issue is, once you read it to your children, it will be that much harder to get them to part with their old toys!

[Monique the Book Geek]

Read Aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C79q...

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good kids book.