T'was the Night... : Five Little Monkeys Looking for Santa by Eileen Christelow

On the night before Christmas, what do little ones want? Eggnog? A kiss under the mistletoe? Fruitcake? An early bedtime?

We wish!

No, since the celebrated Clement Clarke Moore penned his classic, we know that parents want their children all snug, asleep in their beds. But for little Santa fans, Christmas Eve brings the worst insomnia a youngster can experience! And how are those five little monkeys, famous for jumping on their bed, sleeping on this Christmas Eve?

YOU GUESSED IT!

CREEPING PAST MAMA SLEEPING,

SNEAKING DOWN EACH STAIR. . .

Santa's not putting presents around the Christmas tree, but-- what's that noise in the kitchen? Clickety Clack! Is Santa raiding their fridge for a snack? No, it's Grandpa, having a cookie and cocoa, with a time-honored warning.

"SANTA WON'T COME WHILE YOU'RE AWAKE!"

"GO BACK T0 BED, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

But the five little monkeys are still worried. Does Santa know their address? And what's that noise in the bathroom? Santa?

It's Mom in her bathrobe. She repeats Grandpa's advice and shoos them back to bed. But it's not long before they hear a bump on the roof. Is it Santa making a very bad landing?

Quick as a flash, they're out the front door in their jammies, looking up on the roof. The noise is still there, so they find a long ladder and scale it double quick. But there's not a sign of Old St. Nick!

SUDDENLY, WITH A BIG GUST OF WIND AND A CREAKING SOUND...

. . .the monkeys see their ladder blown down to the ground! OOPS! Now how do THEY get down?

Shivering, they brainstorm the only way. If Santa can do it, SO CAN THEY! It's down the grimy chimney for the tired little monkeys.

And sooty and chilly, they now want to sleep. They crash on the couch, all piled in a heap.

And when Santa finally comes down the chimney with care, he finds them all snoozing, totally unaware.

So Santa fills each stocking, grinning from ear to ear.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, LITTLE MONKEYS! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!"

On Christmas Eve what do Santa newbies do? It's an old plot, but for little ones it's all brand-new. As bells jingle and snowflakes glisten, they lie in their beds sleepless, with nothing to do but listen!

Eileen Christelow, the author of so many hilarious books about the Five Little Monkeys, has a good reason for a new one for this season, Five Little Monkeys Looking for Santa (A Five Little Monkeys Story) (Clarion Books, 2021). For youngsters who've yet to meet Christelow's mischievous five, this seasonal story is a great introduction to these famous characters.