Up the porthole I swam like a shark;

I tore back the seaweed then peered through the dark.

The moon shells they glimmered like pearls from the glow

Of luminescent jellyfish gliding below.

The Night Before Christmas, Deep Under the Sea by Kathie Kelleher and illustrated by Dan Andreasen is a very cute story. Actually, it’s quite brilliant they Kelleher could create a story with the same rhythm and meter as the [amazon_link id=”0399251936″ target=”_blank” ]original[/amazon_link], yet replacing the context with the sea.

A lobster is just about to doze off in his kelp bed when jolly old Santa Claus appears in a huge conch shell sleigh pulled by eight lively sea horses! With sparkling eyes, curled tusks, and a belly that bouces like a jiggling crown jelly, this reassuring walrus bestows his gifts and soars out of sight with a timeless Christmas message about happiness and love. Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, reimagined in a cheerful underwater setting, is a rollicking way to welcome Christmas.

Unfortunately, there is nothing eco-friendly about this book, other than the fact that it does educate children about ocean life, which in turn would hopefully lead to conservation efforts.  It would be fun to read each book side by side, and then inspire children to create their own version, perhaps using the forest as a context.

disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.