‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – paulspreshistoricpark.com

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas by Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828) – previously believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas a Triceratops Tale

by Paul Heinzman

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the forest

Not a creature was stirring, not even a Tyrannosaurus;

The stockings were hung on the conifers with care,

In hopes that Santasaurus soon would be there;

The dinosaurs were all snug in their nests,

While visions of sweet-nuts danced in their crests;

And Mama with some ferns, and Dad with some thatch,

Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

When out of the tree tops there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my nest to see what was the matter.

Away to the clearing I flew like a flash,

Tore back the shrubs and kicked up some ash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a sleigh, and nine raptors ready to steer,

With a wise old driver, so lively a Dinosaurus,

I knew in a moment it must be Santasaurus.

More rapid than Archaeopteryx his coursers they came,

And he shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, Brison! now, Xavier! now, Jeffrey, Jerry and Alan!

On, Charlie! on, Jadon! on Blue on Raphael!

To the top of the trees! to the top of the mountain he called!

“Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the mountain-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and Santasaurus too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the ground

The prancing and clawing with each little pound.

As I drew in my foot, and was turning around,

Down to the clearing Santasaurus came with a bound.

He was covered in feathers, from his head to his feet,

And his scales were spotted with ashes and sleet;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

and he looked like a traveler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his horn bright as a cherry!

His mouth below his beak was drawn up like a bow,

And jaw was as white as the snow;

The stem of a peppermint tree he held tight in is beak,

And holly encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face edged with horns and a bright colored belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was hefty and plump, a jolly old ceratopsian-elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of my ceratopsian-self;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his claws aside the horn on his nose,

And giving a nod, up from the clearing he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”

There are a number of books that can inspire your Paleontologist of Any Age during this Festive Season.

“Dinosaurs” by Steve Brusatte 2008, 2009, 2010 Don’t let the age of this book fool you. It contains a great deal of information that is relevant today and the illustrations are fantastic. It comes in two sizes Huge 17 ¼ X 14 3/8 inches and Large 14 ½ X 12 inches. The content is the same. However, the Huge Book has a Spinosaurus on the cover and the Large a T-Rex. Amazon still has a few. I have both sizes. The Huge is Great for Presentations, while the Large is easier for my research and the young paleontologist to handle.

“The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World” by Steve Brusatte 2016 A Wonderful Journey that I repeat regularly. Also available on Amazon.

“Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs” by Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart this is a Fun Pop-Up book that contains Great Information! Adults will enjoy it too! It should be handled with Care to protect the Very Creative Pop-Ups! Look for it on Amazon.

DINOSAUR: A Photicular Book Created by Dan Kainen Written by Kathy Wollard

This is a Wonderful Book that Entertains & Educates. Eight Dinosaurs are seen in living motion due to the Photicular process. Each has a story to tell! Discover Earth with one Ocean – Panthalassa – and the Super Continent Pangaea when North & South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica were one! And Much, Much More! A Great Gift for the young paleontologist and adults will enjoy it too. Available at Costco & Amazon.

“The Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas” By Anne Muecke & illustrated by Nathan Hale An Entertaining Tale where the Dinosaurs return to their original form to Party on Christmas Eve. Five Holiday Songs have been re-versed to reflect Dinosaur & Pterosaur themes provided at the end of the book. A CD is included with the songs that are professionally performed and Al Roker provides a narration of the story. Amazon has this sure to be a Holiday Favorite.

My First Book “Is a Metal Dinosaur the Right Pet for You?” is Available as an eBook on Kindle through Amazon.com

Only $3.99!

Included are two photos of Prehistoric Pals converted to black & white line drawings for You to express Your Color Imagination! Search online for print options on Your device. Print Screen, Cropping & Printing are available on many smart phones. Your smart phone may even allow You to email Your Print Screen to Yourself allowing even more options before printing. Kindle has an app for smart phones!

I would love to see Your Color Visions for Dominic & Raphael! Use crayons, pencils, pens, or watercolors! Attach feathers, glitter whatever brings them to life for You. Send a picture of Your Colorized Imaginations to: paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com It could be in a future post!

I will keep You posted with information on my Next eBook “The Shy Triceratops”. I hope to have Paperback versions available later this year.

Consider Membership with the Museum. In addition to Supporting Their Valuable Work there are Benefits to You. Special Preview Events for Members Only as well as Virtual Access Exclusive for Members. For more information and access to general public eLearning check out the links below.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County www.nhm.org under Research & Collections / Digitized Collections will allow you to browse their Collections. Check out the latest Activities on their site.

The American Natural History Museum www.amnh.org You will find eLearning for Families, Students & Educators. Explore the Museum Virtually. Check Out SciCafe: Video Talks and Meet the Icons: Stories behind the Exhibits! There are Video Series covering Behind the Scenes at the Museum with Space & Dinosaur Explainers.

Chicago’s Field Museum www.fieldmuseum.org You can talk to “Maximo the Titanosaur” online, Yes Really! Visit Sue the largest T-Rex discovered! Check Out “Brain Scoop” with host Emily Graslie and the Learning Resources – many are also in Spanish.

Check Out Your Libraries eBooks. My local Library has over 900 eBooks on Dinosaurs! Many Libraries are offering “Curbside Pick-up. If you prefer the hardcopy, “Curbside Pick-up may be the option for you.

Have a Happy Christmas