A Creature Was Stirring: One Boy's Night Before Christmas    by Clement Clarke Moore & Carter Goodrich Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2006 (2006) Hardcover      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Acclaimed illustrator Carter Goodrich takes on Clement Clarke Moore's famed poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, in A Creature Was Stirring, which opens: 'You all know this tale, / but read this, you'll see: / One creature was stirring, / that creature was me!' The picture book continues with a two-page presentation - on one side we have the original poem, while the other reflects (in a contrasting font) the perspective of a small boy who is stirring, watching what transpires, and worrying about how Santa will react to his being awake. As the sleigh lands on the roof, he tells himself, 'Okay, try to calm down / and climb back in bed. / Don't look like you're breathing ... / Pretend that you're dead!' When Santa slides down the chimney to deliver the goods, the boy sees the sleigh slipping and leaps into action to get it 'safely parked' again. We're offered two great tales for the price of one in this delightful and rather funny picture book, with its marvelously textured illustrations. Kids, who have trouble falling into dreamland on Christmas Eve themselves, will love this new view of the classic. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews