Two favorite Christmas stories are joined together in an unusually thick volume with sturdy, coated paper and a reinforced binding. The format uses changeable picture windows to add a surprise to some of the pages and the cover. On alternating spreads, a gatefold page contains an oval cutout, and as the page is opened, the underlying window shifts to a different picture, giving a sense of motion. For example, in the changing window on the cover (also repeated inside), Santa is shown filling a stocking with toys, and as the cover is opened, the picture changes to a little child looking up the chimney. Both “The Night Before Christmas” and Pirotta’s heavily abbreviated version of “The Nutcracker” are illustrated by Lockhart with Victorian settings in a pastel palette. A sweet if ephemeral treat. (Picture book. 3-7)
