'Twas the Night of Book Talk Thursday Linky

Oh, how I love this time of the year and the books we read at Christmas time!  If you can't tell from the title of the post, this week's Book Talk Thursday is special!
I love to read all of the "Night Before Christmas" books with my family each year.  Much like the Griswolds do in Christmas Vacation, we sit together and share our favorite:  Cajun Night Before Christmas .
Being from Louisiana and having a grandmother who spoke some Cajun, this book makes me smile!  My dad used to read it to us each year, and I loved to hear him read it in the way that Cajuns talk.  And this book is perfect for it!

Just like the original story by Clement C. Moore,  it follows the evening of a family as they wait for Santa.  A big difference is that the family lives in a Cajun cabin near the water, where the family is in one room by the fire.  Santa also comes in a skiff with alligators instead of reindeer.  The alligators all have Cajun names as well.  The book is full of humor as well, which keeps it light and fun.  I also love how the way the book is written, you have to read it with a Cajun accent.  It is so much fun to read!

When I work with the older students in third grade or higher, it is always fun to compare and contrast the original The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore with a new version.  We make a simple Venn Diagram to show how they are alike and different.  I don't have any fun pictures to share because it has been years since I have done this with my class, but it is so simple to do.  We usually do it as a group or class to make it gather many different answers and ideas.

I have created a fun freebie for you to use with candy cane frames from Dancing Crayon Designs as the Venn Diagram.  I thought it would be fun and festive to use in the classroom!  There are two different versions of the frames because I loved them both.  Grab them by clicking {here} or on the picture below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/swmijrijh8rwzdx/candy%20cane%20venn%20diagram.pdf


So, which other versions of The Night Before Christmas are your favorites?  Write a book review of it and link up below!  Make sure you include a link back to this post in your post.  I can't wait to see what your favorite Night Before Christmas books are!

Next week, come back to link up another favorite Christmas book!



Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

5 comments

  1. That sounds like a really neat book, especially since you have that great connection. I love comparing different versions of the same story. Thanks for sharing!

    Amy
    Eclectic Educating

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, the memories!! My dad always read it, too, and I even am making him bring it up to me tonight since they're coming for Keagan's birthday. I'm thinking of recording him so I can share it with my kids. I knew you were doing this one, so I'm glad I was prepared with my new version!!

    Don't Let the Teacher Stay Up Late
    Follow me on Bloglovin!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can't wait to find some more Christmas book ideas - thanks for the linky!

    Love to Learn

    ReplyDelete
  4. Different versions of The Night Before Christmas would be great for comparing and contrasting! I have never heard of cajun one. How fun and it is great that it brings back sweet memories for you!
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the holiday Venn diagrams, Andrea. What a clever way to use the frames!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Linda

    ReplyDelete

Leave a comment, tell me your thoughts!