Picture of author.

Clement C. Moore (1779–1863)

Author of The Night Before Christmas [Jan Brett]

425+ Works 24,170 Members 247 Reviews 4 Favorited

About the Author

Poet and Educator Clement Moore was born on July 15, 1770 in New York City, and was later educated at Columbia College. Moore was a biblical scholar and professor at the Episcopal General Theological Seminary. Moore is best known for his poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", better known in more modern show more times as "Twas the Night Before Christmas". In 2013 this same title became a New York Times High Profile Title. Clement Moore died in Newport, Rhode Island on July 10, 1863. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by Clement C. Moore

The Night Before Christmas [Jan Brett] (1848) 2,859 copies, 37 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (1823) 1,380 copies, 18 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Charles Santore) (2011) 1,351 copies, 8 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Mary Engelbreit) (2002) 1,214 copies, 17 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Corinne Malvern) (1823) 1,165 copies, 10 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Douglas W. Gorsline) (1975) 1,091 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Bruce Whatley) (1999) 585 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Tasha Tudor) (1975) 466 copies, 9 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Cheryl Harness) (1990) 433 copies, 10 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (James Marshall) (1985) 381 copies, 5 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Arthur Rackham) (1976) 329 copies, 6 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Tomie dePaola) (1980) 277 copies, 3 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Gyo Fujikawa) (1961) 264 copies, 6 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Jean Hirashima) (1993) 163 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Tom Newsom) (2005) 141 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Anita Lobel) (1984) 140 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Puybaret) (2010) 139 copies, 4 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Dana Regan) (1991) 132 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (2005) 128 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Gennady Spirin) (1969) 120 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Look-Look) (1991) 116 copies, 1 review
The Grandma Moses Night Before Christmas (1962) 107 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (2013) 102 copies, 6 reviews
The Teddy Bears' Night Before Christmas (1999) — Author — 80 copies, 1 review
Disney's Winnie the Pooh's Night Before Christmas (1998) — Contributor — 78 copies
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1990) 70 copies, 3 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Rachel Isadora) (2009) 68 copies, 11 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Ruth Sanderson) (1997) 65 copies, 2 reviews
A Visit from St. Nicholas (1980) 57 copies
Disney's Winnie the Pooh's Christmas Treasury (2002) — Author — 57 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Robert Ingpen) (2010) 54 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (Tien) (1986) 54 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (2012) 51 copies
Pop-Up The Night Before Christmas (1967) — Author — 50 copies
The Night Before Christmas (1984) 47 copies
Night Before Christmas, The (1979) 41 copies
A Visit from St. Nicholas (Kim Fernandes) (1998) 35 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (2015) 32 copies, 2 reviews
The Night Before Christmas (1983) 26 copies
The Night Before Christmas (2011) 19 copies
The Night Before Christmas (2014) 15 copies
The Night Before Christmas (1982) 14 copies
The Night Before Christmas (Max Grover) (1999) 13 copies, 2 reviews
Denslow's Night Before Christmas (1980) 12 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (1991) 11 copies
The Night Before Christmas (1995) 11 copies
The Night Before Christmas (1995) 10 copies
Night Before Christmas Pop-up 10 copies, 1 review
A Noite de Natal (2011) 2 copies
La nuit magique de Noël (2009) 2 copies
The Christmas grab-bag, (1930) 2 copies
W Noc Wigilijną (2022) 1 copy
Julaftonsnatt (2017) 1 copy
Natten före jul (2014) 1 copy
Classic Christmas Poems 1 copy, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (2006) — Author — 1 copy
De nacht voor Kerstmis (2008) 1 copy
A Vespera De Natal (2007) 1 copy

Associated Works

One Hundred and One Famous Poems (1916) — Contributor, some editions — 2,316 copies, 21 reviews
The Best Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis (2001) — Contributor — 619 copies, 11 reviews
The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature, Volumes 1-2 (1955) — Contributor — 523 copies, 4 reviews
Treasury of Christmas Stories (1960) — Contributor — 367 copies, 3 reviews
Diane Goode's American Christmas (1990) — Contributor — 348 copies, 3 reviews
The Fireside Book of Christmas Stories (1945) — Contributor — 335 copies, 3 reviews
The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury (1989) — Contributor — 327 copies
The World Treasury of Children's Literature: Book 1 (1984) — Contributor — 237 copies
Best Remembered Poems (1992) — Contributor — 182 copies, 4 reviews
The Children's Treasury: Best Loved Stories and Poems from Around the World (1987) — Contributor — 164 copies, 2 reviews
A Literary Christmas: An Anthology (2013) — Contributor — 160 copies, 5 reviews
Storytelling and Other Poems (1949) — Contributor — 99 copies, 2 reviews
Best in Children's Books 04 (1957) 80 copies, 1 review
A Season of Joy: Favorite Stories and Poems for Christmas (1987) — Contributor — 55 copies, 1 review
The Night Before Christmas (Rabbit Ears Book & Audio) (1992) — Original Story — 27 copies
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas [1974 TV movie] (1974) — Original poem — 26 copies
Christmas Classics: A Treasury for Latter-Day Saints (1995) — Contributor — 16 copies
Christmas Classics: Stories for the Whole Family (2006) — Contributor; Contributor — 13 copies, 1 review
Favorite Stories of Christmas Past (2007) — Contributor — 8 copies
American Poems 1776-1922 (2013) — Contributor — 8 copies
Twelve Stories of Christmas (2020) — Contributor — 5 copies
The Greatest Christmas Stories & Poems in One Volume (2015) — Contributor — 4 copies
10 Best Loved Christmas Classic Stories for All Ages (2010) — Contributor — 4 copies
A Classic Tales Christmas (2012) — Contributor — 3 copies
Christmas Short Works Collection 2020 (2020) — Contributor — 2 copies
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland [2024 film] (2024) — Original poem — 2 copies
The Night Before Christmas [1933 short film] (1933) — Oeiginal story — 2 copies
The Miniature Book of Classic Christmas Stories (2015) — Contributor — 1 copy
Mitch Miller Presents: Christmas Songs & Carols (1958) — Composer — 1 copy
Christmas Short Works Collection 2007 (2007) — Contributor — 1 copy
Christmas Short Works Collection 2006 (2006) — Contributor — 1 copy
Favorite Christmas Stories & Songs (2014) — Contributor — 1 copy
Christmas Short Works Collection 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 1 copy

Tagged

board book (87) children (324) children's (556) children's book (87) children's books (115) children's fiction (63) children's literature (176) Christmas (4,321) Christmas Eve (64) classic (149) classics (90) December (121) fiction (439) hardcover (140) holiday (471) holidays (447) Jan Brett (66) kids (78) Little Golden Book (109) picture book (796) poem (61) poetry (793) pop-up (205) read (62) rhyming (62) Santa (307) Santa Claus (273) The Night Before Christmas (114) to-read (109) winter (170)

Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Clement C. Moore
Legal name
Moore, Clement Clarke
Birthdate
1779-07-15
Date of death
1863-07-10
Gender
male
Education
Columbia College (BA|MA|1798) (Honorary LLD|1829)
Occupations
Professor of Oriental and Greek literature
scholar
poet
academic
real estate developer
Organizations
Columbia College (now Columbia University)
General Theological Seminary (Protestant Episcopal Church)
New York Society Library
New York Institution for the Blind
Relationships
Moore, Benjamin (father)
Short biography
Clement Clarke Moore grew up in Elmhurst, Queens, and graduated from Columbia College. He became a professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, as well as Divinity and Biblical Learning, at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He is best remembered today as the author of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" -- usually called "The Night Before Christmas" -- although it was published anonymously. A park and playground located at 10th Avenue and 22nd Street are named after him.
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
New York City, Province of New York, British America
Places of residence
Elmhurst, Queens, New York, USA
Place of death
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Burial location
Trinity Churchyard Cemetery, New York, New York, USA
Associated Place (for map)
USA

Members

Reviews

274 reviews
The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Robert Ingpen

Clement C. Moore's immortal Christmas Eve poem, first written for his nine children in 1822, and subsequently published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel in 1823, is presented in this charming miniature picture-book edition, with the artwork of Australian illustrator Robert Ingpen. Each two-page spread contains a verse of two of the poem, paired with lovely artwork in subtle, wintry shades...

I enjoyed this presentation of The Night show more Before Christmas, which is done in a rather different style than the one by Charles Santore, hitherto my favorite version. Ingpen's Saint Nicholas has an immensely droll, winsome quality, and I particularly liked the scene in which he is sucking on his pipe, gazing sideways at the reader with a sharp, mischievous look in his eye. The opening scene, which shows a close-up of a mouse - it's paired with the opening lines, "Twas the night before Christmas, / when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, / not even a mouse" - was a little startling, if I'm honest, but otherwise this is a sweet little edition. Recommended to Ingpen fans, and to anyone looking for picture-book presentations of this delightful poem. show less
he classic Christmas poem gets citified.

Everyone knows Moore’s yuletide mainstay: “ʼTwas the night before Christmas, / when all through the house,” and so on. In the typical picture-book treatment, the home at the poem’s center is a single-family dwelling, its closest neighbor too far away to hit with a snowball. In Semmer’s rendering, the words “So up to the housetop the coursers they flew” are accompanied by an image of Santa’s reindeer on the roof of an apartment building show more that’s part of a city block. This time around, “the moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow” is paired with an illustration of, not a pristine lawn, but a snow-dusted cityscape, and the spread announcing “I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick” finds a brown-skinned guy, not a white dude, wearing the red suit. The book’s narrator is a Black child who lives in a beautifully appointed apartment with a cat and two siblings, two parents, and a grandparent. Semmer’s blocky, digitally tweaked pencil art, which suggests cut-paper tableaux, is micro-detailed and thoroughgoing—there is no unused space—and the traditional Christmas colors are represented by variants like tomato red, mint green, and mustard gold. Absolutely everything is alluring, especially the Christmas cookies, which sit on a dining table that faces not a Currier and Ives print, but a picture window overlooking a suspension bridge.

Good tidings indeed. (Picture book. 4-8)

-Kirkus Review
show less
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith.

Clement C. Moore's delightful Christmas poem, chronicling a visit from jolly old St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve night, is here presented with the artwork of celebrated late 19th/early 20th-century illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith, and the result is charming! The illustrations vary in their kind - sometimes they consist of decorative first letters and small black and white drawings; sometimes they are full-color page show more illustrations, paired with a stanza of text on the facing page; and once, there is a glorious two-page depiction of St. Nicholas landing on the snowy rooftop in his sleigh - but they are all lovely.

This particular presentation of this classic poem, with Smith's illustrations, was apparently first published in 1912 - the poem itself first saw print in 1823 - although this reprint was done recently, in 2014. Long familiar with Smith's illustrations for various classic novels - Heidi, At the Back of the North Wind, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - I think 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas is my first picture-book from her. Of the five illustrated versions of the poem that I have read in recent years, it ranks up there with the one by Charles Santore (my personal favorite), despite being in an entirely different style. The presentation and artwork here are old-fashioned (the poem itself has the original line about settling "our brains for a long winter's nap") but appealing. Recommended to anyone looking for a traditional presentation of this poem, as well as to fans of Jessie Willcox Smith.
show less
The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Jan Brett.

That classic Christmas poem from Clement Clarke Moore is here presented in picture book form by prolific children's author and artist Jan Brett, and the result is just lovely! Saint Nicholas visits a country New England home on Christmas Eve, observed by the father of the house, landing on the rooftop with his reindeer-drawn sleigh, slipping down the chimney, and cleverly delivering all of his presents, before flying away with a ringing show more "Merry Christmas To All, and To All a Good Night." The accompanying artwork depicts these magical scenes, and adds in a little extra...

This edition of The Night Before Christmas is the third such picture book presentation of this poem that I have read this season, following upon those illustrated by Mary Engelbreit and Tomie dePaola, and the eighth I have read and reviewed since I began keeping track of such things. It was originally published in 1998, and proved so popular that it was republished in this 10th Anniversary Edition in 2008. The poem itself, of course, was penned by Moore in 1822, as a Christmas present for his children, and first published in 1823. In any case, I enjoyed this version quite a bit, both for the poem, which I love, and for Brett's colorful illustrations, so full of detail and enchanting holiday magic. As is often the case with her books, there are decorative borders to her paintings, with side-panels that display extra little scenes. The story here is also augmented by the presence of two of Santa's little elves, who have stowed away on his sleigh, and come along for the ride. I don't know that this is my very favorite version of the poem, an honor which belongs to the Charles Santore edition, or possibly to the version of my childhood, which was illustrated by Douglas W. Gorsline, but it is still very beautiful. Recommended to those looking for lovely picture book presentations of this classic poem—you can't really go wrong here.
show less

Lists

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Corinne Malvern Illustrator
Mary Engelbreit Illustrator
Robert Sabuda Illustrator
Sol Studios Illustrator
Lee Loetz Illustrator
Brent Ford Illustrator
John Kurtz Illustrator
William Roger Snow Illustrator
Amy Edgar Author
Robbin Cuddy Illustrator
Costa Alavezos Illustrator
Penny Ives Illustrator
Marvin Brehm Illustrator
Paul Taylor Designer
Mircea Catusanu Illustrator
Bruce Talkington Contributor
Martha Day Zschock Illustrator
W. W. Denslow Illustrator
Shigemi Hijikato Illustrator
Eloise Wilkin Illustrator
Stephen Fry Narrator
Jan Brett Illustrator
Diane Goode Illustrator
Henry Livingston Rival authorial candidate
Charles Santore Illustrator
Kathy Wilburn Illustrator
Bruce Whatley Illustrator
Cyndy Szekeres Illustrator
John Steven Gurney Illustrator
Haddon Sundblom Illustrator
Tasha Tudor Illustrator
Cheryl Harness Illustrator
Leonard Weisgard Illustrator
Arthur Rackham Illustrator
Jody Wheeler Illustrator
Tomie dePaola Illustrator
Gyo Fujikawa Illustrator
Jon Goodell Illustrator
Matt Tavares Illustrator
Ruth Sanderson Illustrator
Vitaly Shvarov Illustrator
Elena Almazova Illustrator
Jean Hirashima Illustrator
Tom Newsom Illustrator
Anita Lobel Illustrator
Éric Puybaret Illustrator
Peter Yarrow Performer
Mary Travers Performer
Ted Rand Illustrator
Janet Samuel Illustrator
Dana Regan Illustrator
Gennady Spirin Illustrator
Niroot Puttapipat Illustrator
Grandma Moses Illustrator
Donald Mills Illustrator
Mark Marshall Illustrator
Monica Stevenson Photographer
Daniel Kirk Illustrator
Barbara Reid Illustrator
Rachel Isadora Illustrator
Roger Duvoisin Illustrator
William Wegman Illustrator
Russell Barber Introduction
Will Moses Illustrator
Scott Gustafson Illustrator
Tim Hildebrandt Illustrator
Greg Hildebrandt Illustrator
Joseph Adolphe Illustrator
Tien Illustrator
Robert Ingpen Illustrator
Michael Hague Illustrator
Michael Foreman Illustrator
John Speirs Illustrator
Marjorie Cooper Illustrator
Lisbeth Zwerger Illustrator
David Ercolini Illustrator
Joyce Patti Illustrator
John Olsen Illustrator
Elizabeth Miles Illustrator
Kees Moerbeek Illustrator
Kim Fernandes Illustrator
Peter Stevenson Illustrator
Wendy Watson Illustrator
Catherine Barnes Illustrator
Howard Finster Illustrator
Berta Hader Illustrator
Elmer Hader Illustrator
Larry Eldredge Illustrator
Janet D'Amato Illustrator
Alex D'Amato Illustrator
Mike Artell Illustrator
Elisa Trimby Illustrator
Jacqueline Rogers Illustrator
Gus Alavezos Illustrator
Terue Sakai Illustrator
Brown Watson Illustrator
Sharon Cartwright Illustrator
Jim Talbot Illustrator
Lis Toft Illustrator
Kevin Kline Narrator
Julie Downing Illustrator
Maggie Swanson Illustrator
Raquel Jaramillo Illustrator
Susan Winget Illustrator
Reginald Birch Illustrator
Robin Spowart Illustrator
Julian Wehr Illustrator
Becky Kelly Illustrator
Allison Edgson Illustrator
Bill Bell Illustrator
Angela Barrett Illustrator
Max Grover Illustrator
Linda Weller Illustrator
Mike Terrell Illustrator
Paul Johnson Illustrator
Mary C. Ogden Illustrator
Linda Hoffer Illustrator
Kat Whelan Illustrator
Alisa Grodsky Illustrator
Roy McKie Illustrator
Stuart Trotter Illustrator
Maurie Manning Illustrator
Everett Shinn Illustrator
Lois Lane Narrator
Cathy Beylon Illustrator
Nan Brooks Illustrator
Jenny Williams Illustrator
Lucy Rigg Illustrator
Thomas Nast Illustrator
Sergio Leone Illustrator
Debbie Pinkney Illustrator
Raquel Martin Illustrator
Jo Gershman Illustrator
Shirley Holt Illustrator
Gill Guile Illustrator
Meg Wohlberg Animated pictures by
Anna Pomaska Illustrator
Gustaf Tenggren Illustrator
Mary Ann Fraser Illustrator
Robert Cremins Illustrator
Unada Illustrator
Curtis Wager-Smith Illustrator
Fern Bisel Peat Illustrator
Pat Thompson Illustrator
Zillah Lesko Illustrator
Carolyn Loh Illustrator
James Seward Illustrator
Gail Owens Illustrator
Dudley Mosely Illustrator
B. Geyser Illustrator
Yuri Salzman Illustrator
Hilary Knight Illustrator
Angela Kamstra Illustrator
Denise Harris Illustrator
Nancy. Cotè Illustrator
Thelma Gooch Illustrator
Guy Porfirio Illustrator
Paul Galdone Illustrator
Margot Voigt Illustrator
Greg Churchill Illustrator
E. MacKinstry Illustrator
Gladys Hall Illustrator
Bernadine Stetzel Illustrator
Susan Spellman Illustrator
Joan Gale Thomas Illustrator
Aldren Watson Illustrator
Juliette Borda Illustrator
Elizabeth Tedder Illustrator
Ruth E. Newton Illustrator
Tom Patrick Illustrator
Larry Nolte Illustrator
Paula Cloonan Illustrator
Nan Pollard Illustrator
Deborah Jones Illustrator
Jerry Smath Illustrator
Lynn Bywaters Illustrator
Nancy K. Cundiff Biography Research and Copy
David D. Ogden Introduction
Phoebe Judge Narrator
John DePol Illustrator
Christine Brallier Illustrator
Bobby Dawson Illustrator
Petula Stone Illustrator
Clarence Biers Illustrator
Susan K. Jones Biography Research and Copy
Maggie Downer Illustrator
T.C. Boyd Illustrator
Joan Thoubboron Illustrator
Jeff Bridges Narrator
Melissa Ring Designer
Jane Kallir Introduction
Helena Stedman Translator
Päivi Lankinen Translator

Statistics

Works
425
Also by
42
Members
24,170
Popularity
#867
Rating
4.2
Reviews
247
ISBNs
971
Languages
16
Favorited
4

Charts & Graphs