The Night Before Christmas: A New Christmas Tradition

In this adaptation of Clement C. Moore’s beloved Christmas poem, a young Black girl wakes up on Christmas Eve to find Santa placing gifts for her family underneath the tree, and to her delight, Santa looks just like her.

Like my uncle, my auntie, my father, and mother
My cousins, and grandparents, sister, and brother
He encompassed us all, the man by the tree.
Who’d imagine that Santa could look just like me?

In this retelling of the holiday classic about jolly old St. Nicholas, a young Black girl patiently waits for Christmas morning with her family when, to her surprise, she chances upon Santa, with his red suit, hot-cocoa-colored cheeks, and snowy white beard.

Written and illustrated Candice Bradley
40 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025
Hardcover
8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches