A Visit from St. Nicholas

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem, “A visit from St. Nicholas,” was
first printed in 1823; only later was Moore’s authorship acknowledged.
To each generation of children it seems as fresh as home-baked bread,
while as adults we continue to know it by heart.

Kim Fernandes’s fresh illustrations make a delightful match for the
poem through an ingenious combination of semi-realism and fantasy. The
dog and cat by the fireplace where “The stockings were hung / By the
chimney with care” are made of shaggy strands of wool, as are
Santa’s reindeer. St. Nic’s generous bag of gifts is purple,
decorated with yellow stars and moons. St. Nicholas has trouble getting
his giant bag out through the fireplace once he’s in the living room.
And after all this effort, Santa is shown blissfully enjoying the milk
and cookies that have been left out for him.

A Visit from St. Nicholas brings fresh charm and humor to this classic
poem. Recommended.