Reviewed by Erin Nicole Cochran for Readers' Favorite

Mommy’s Night Before Christmas (Family Christmas Tales) by Katie L. Carroll is an endearing children’s picture book story that is also very appealing to adults. In fact, some children might recognize themselves a bit in the story, along with some parents who find that they can relate to the rhyming storyline. The illustrations created by Phoebe Cho have a lovely rustic quality, utilizing some colors that are a bit more subdued and relaxing, while others include a shock of red that reminds you it’s very much the Christmas time of year. It also appears that a mixture of mediums is used at some points, which draws your eyes in even more.

Katie L. Carroll’s Mommy’s Night Before Christmas (Family Christmas Tales) pulled at every heartstring in my chest. Even though I’m not a parent, I can still readily relate to this mommy’s difficult night. It reminded me of what my mother must have gone through when I was a kid. There are some amazing lines in this book, such as on page 27: “Daddy and I exchanged a look of wonder, The shock could’ve put us six feet under.” It most definitely has an adult perspective to it, but children will still enjoy it and might even learn from the story itself by trying to improve their behavior for their parents. This would be an excellent Christmas gift for any child or parent that you know who may need a little bit of laughter and wish to read a great story.