Noël à Paris

Twas the week before Christmas!
   All over the world
The children were breathless
   as visions unfurled
Of the magical time when their
  dreams would take flight
And sweet sound of sleigh bells
  would ring in the night.

But Santa was frantic --
  he wasn't elated.
For his dear Mrs. Claus
  could not be located.
The lists were not finished;
  the maps were a mess,
And where to deliver
  was anyone's guess.       

Illustrations by Sheryl Dickert.      

        And so it goes, the utterly charming sweetly sophisticated The Night Before Christmas in Paris by award-winning interior designer and bestselling author, Betty Lou Phillips. Written in the rhythm of the verse we all know so well, she has created a delightful book for children of all ages.

           She tells us the beguiling story of how Madame Claus flies off to Paris to shop and play while poor Santa is in a tizzy of last minute details in preparation for his big day. Every page is just plain fun to read and the illustrations underscore the ambiance. (I won't tell you how it ends because I wouldn't want to deprive you of the pleasure of discovering the romantic twist.)

          Brilliantly, the book was designed to slip perfectly into a Christmas stocking. Measuring eight-and-a-half inches by four-and-a-half inches it is the ultimate gift for little girls who dream of Paris, Santa, Christmas and shopping and big girls who still have the same fantasy.

          What Betty Lou's The Night Before Christmas In Paris does is make us smile, and I ask you: Is there a better cadeau de Noël in the whole world than that? **


**Published by Gibbs Smith, $9.99.