This full-color adaptation of Clement Moore's ever popular ?Night Before Christmas? is a gleeful celebration of Christmas Eve--Southwestern style. Written for young and old alike, the author Charlotte Van Bebber invites the reader to experience the arrival of Santa Claus (a kindly, old, miner-type) to the desert home of Sally and Hank. He is accompanied by his faithful companions, roadrunners: Chico, Cholla, Chula, Dusty, Pepita, Rita, Streaker and Treaker! The spellbound children watch as events unfold? Native Arizonian artist Mary Lou Ray Greer's unique and humorous illustrations evoke the mystery and magic of the Southwest. Her understanding of the desert with its many colors and moods imbues the story with rich Southwestern imagery. This whimsical tale will no doubt be a seasonal favorite among those who delight in the enchantment of Christmas Eve.