Product Description

"Forget Dancer, Prancer, Comet, and Vixen. . . . Good Clement, wherever he is, will not be gnashing his teeth."

New York Times Book Review

"Set in a Louisiana bayou and told in Cajun dialect-e chirren been nezzle/Good snug on de flo'-the poem has lively illustrations that perfectly suit the unique text."

Horn Book

More than twenty-five years after its first appearance, Cajun Night Before Christmas has become a modern classic that has sold more than 490,000 copies and has served as the model for Pelican's ongoing, best-selling Night Before Christmas series.

The formula that started this success story is surprisingly simple: take the classic story of jolly old St. Nicholas, place it in a Louisiana bayou, dress Santa Claus in muskrat "from his head to his toes," pile his skiff high with toys, and hitch it to eight friendly alligators. The result is a delightful twist on an old and familiar tale. It is Christmas on the bayou.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #405015 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 48 pages

About the Author
James Rice, in his long, distinguished career as an author and illustrator, has produced fifty-plus children's books, among them an addition to the Night Before Christmas series, Gullah Night Before Christmas. With more than a million and a half copies of his books in print, he ranks among the nation's best-selling creators of children's books.

Customer Reviews

Cajun Night Before Christmas
I have had this book for almost twenty years, and every Christmas my friends beg me to read it to them with my Cajun accent. This is such a FUN book for children and adults, and it is written in the Cajun dialect so that it is easy to have a Cajun accent. I have never met anyone who didn't fall in love with this book! Buy it! You won't be sorry, and it will become a family heirloom for many generations to come.

A New Way To View Santa Claus....
Looking for a new way to view Santa Claus? Well, here is the book for you. This book takes a folklore view of Santa in Louisiana. The illustrations are warm, friendly and give the reader a glimpse on how Christmas is celebrated on the bayou. :)

One of the BEST holiday stories ever!
My father used to read this story to us ever Christmas when I was young. It still makes me laugh, just as hard now, every time I hear it.