The Knights Before Christmas

by Joan Holub, Scott Magoon (Illustrator)

Overview

A humorous retelling of the classic poem Twas the Night Before Christmas--with a medieval twist!

'Twas December 24th, and three brave knights were just settling in for the night when out on the drawbridge, there arose such a clatter! The knights try everything to get rid of this unknown invader (Santa Claus!), a red and white knight with a fleet of dragons . . .

But nothing would stop
their white-whiskered foe.
No matter their efforts,
he just would not go!

This parody of Clement Clarke Moore's well-known poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas is kid-friendly, clever, and just plain silly—sure to become a holiday classic of a different kind.

A Christy Ottaviano Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627798594
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	51 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joan Holub is the author and illustrator of more than 130 children's books, including Zero the Hero, Little Red Writing, and the Goddess Girls series. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Scott Magoon is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Spoon and Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and the author and illustrator of The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot and Breathe. The art director at Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, he lives in the Boston area with his wife and two sons.

Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated over 120 children's books, including Zero the Hero, Shampoodle and Groundhog Weather School. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
While moonlighting as a designer at a major children's publishing house, Scott Magoon has illustrated many successful books including Spoon by Amy Krause Rosenthal, Ugly Fish, and Rabbit and Squirrel. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and two sons.

Editorial Reviews

There's an excellent interplay between the amusing illustrations and the polished text, with lots of clever jokes for readers to discover in the art. These knights know how to keep the castle safe and the readers entertained” —Kirkus Reviews

This medieval “Night Before Christmas” parody jingles with castle- and holiday wordplay. Cheeky digital illustrations brim with good cheer."-The Horn Book

“This story does for numbers what Laurie Keller did for states.” —Booklist on Zero the Hero by Joan Holub

“Read this aloud to whet the new reader's appetite, but there is just so much to see that only a slow reading, with a magnifying glass in hand, will do.” —The Horn Book Magazine on Zero the Hero by Joan Holub

“* Richly composed and sweetly appealing.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on Breathe by Scott Magoon

“Entertaining and clever—and that's no lie.” —Kirkus Reviews on The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot by Scott Magoon

From the Publisher

2015-08-12
Three young knights defend their castle from "a red-and-white knight and eight dragons. Oh dear!" Santa travels back in time to a fanciful medieval Europe with knights, lords, and castles in this clever parody of "The Night Before Christmas." The text unfolds in pitch-perfect rhymes that follow the basic pattern of the classic poem, with the addition of witty wordplay incorporated into speech balloons and in signs, lists, and banners on the castle walls. The three knights are named Brave Knight, Polite Knight, and Silent Knight, each with a distinct, appropriate personality. When Santa arrives to deliver gifts to the castle, the knights see him as an intruder and try to repel his advances. Santa is just as determined as the knights to succeed in his own mission. He flings his presents and holiday decorations into the castle with an evergreen-tree catapult, which the knights then appropriate for the castle's Christmas tree. Digitally produced illustrations in deep jewel tones successfully bring to life the complex physical world of the castle and skillfully meet the logistical challenges of the knights' battle of airborne gifts with Santa. There's an excellent interplay between the amusing illustrations and the polished text, with lots of clever jokes for readers to discover in the art. These knights know how to keep the castle safe and the readers entertained. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews