“This charming book is for the millions who cherish [Clement Clarke] Moore's poem, the growing number who snap up Victorian products, Christmas shoppers who want a deluxe, yet affordable stocking stuffer, and biography and American History readers.” — Cleveland Daily Banner Book Review

“. . . a good gift for those who celebrate the spirit of Christmas year-round.” — Colorado Springs Bookmarks

Few today would not recognize the opening lines of one of the most famous poems in the English language: “'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house . . ." Written as a gift from a faithful father to his loving family, Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem has delighted millions of people everywhere for over a century.

This book tells the story behind the famous poem and its creator. Set in the early nineteenth century, as New York entered an era of unprecedented growth and Wall Street was still adjacent to rolling farmland, the young Moore family set out to follow in the footsteps of their distinguished, learned forebears. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore shared with his family for the first time the poem he had written, inspired by the works of Washington Irving, an anonymously published book titled A New Year's Present for the Little Ones from Five to Twelve, and his own study of St. Nicholas.

Patricia Del Re