Additional information
by Mary Lee Labay (Illustrator)
With a team of Longhorns, Santa arrives at a sod shanty and drops down the chimney to fill the youngï 1/2unsï 1/2 boots with toys.
Front Jacket
On a dark winter's eve in the midst of a fierce storm, a poor Texas family hunkers down in their sod shanty. When what should appear but Santy Claus in a wagon pulled by eight scruffy longhorns whose very colorful names give a hint to their contrary natures. After crash-landing Santa's wagon, the longhorns wreak havoc in this fun Christmas adventure. With a Santy so endearing he could charm the spines off a cactus, Texas Night Before Christmas has touched the hearts of generations and become an annual family tradition.
Widely acclaimed as the South's leading children's illustrator, James Rice (1934-2004), lives through the more than 2.5 million books in print that feature his work--a record that ranks him with top children's authors and illustrators nationally. Rice wrote or illustrated fifty-five children's books with Pelican, receiving countless accolades and numerous awards. While this is an amazing achievement for any illustrator, it is particularly impressive since Rice was color-blind. His work demonstrates an inherent understanding of the interplay between darks and lights and reveals the creative genius of the artist's mind.
Author Biography
Author/illustrator James Rice (1934-2004) produced sixty books, including the illustrations for Pelican's treasured The Night Before Christmas Series. Rice's first book, the well-loved classic Cajun Night Before Christmas(R), has more than 750,000 copies in print. Young readers can enjoy more of Gaston(R)'s adventures in Gaston(R) Goes to Mardi Gras and sample Rice's other children's stories with favorites such as Texas Jack at the Alamo. With more than 1.5 million copies of his books in print, Rice ranks among the nation's best-selling creators of children's books, receiving awards from Printer Industries of America and the Children's Book Council, among others. Years after his death, Rice's family found the art and text Gaston(R) Joins the Circus, and this discovery has brought Gaston(R) back for one more adventure!
