Just in time for yuletime bedtime stories, Tiny the Treefrog is back in town with a topical story of how he saved Bermuda's animals from certain disappointment on Christmas eve.

Normally nocturnal, it seems the bright green amphibian decided not to go to bed on Christmas Eve because he wanted to see Santa. When eventually he spotted the jolly old gent's sleigh coursing through the night sky pulled by eight of Tiny's kinsmen, he became very excited -- until he realised that Santa hadn't spotted Bermuda and was flying by.

Thanks to Tiny's perspicacity, however, Santa landed safely and, with the little frog's help, successfully delivered presents to all of the animals in the zoo. Not only that, but as a reward he headed the treefrog team as Santa fulfilled his rounds before daybreak.

This is artist and author Elizabeth Mulderig's sixth book, and her third about Tiny and his adventures. Entitled `Tiny's Night Before Christmas', its style is, however, different from its predecessors. Rather than prose, the charming story is told in verse after the style of Clement Moore's famous poem, The Night Before Christmas.

The imaginative, colourful illustrations are also by Ms Mulderig, who admits that the treefrog to which she "gave birth'' in her first book has definitely formed an identity in her mind as his "mother''.

The new book, which is in hardback with a glossy, full-colour dust jacket, is dedicated to the memory of the late Mr. Kevin Stevenson, who was president of the Bermudian Publishing Company until his sudden death last year.

"It was really Kevin's idea. He thought it would be fun to have a children's Christmas book about Bermuda, so I embarked on this project with him, and we had a lot of fun working on it together,'' Ms Mulderig says.

"The wonderful thing is that I have gone forward with this in conjunction with Kevin's wife, Tina. We have known each other since childhood. I was at her fourth birthday party, and we were in nursery school together, so that is very special. We have both had some pretty special feelings doing the book together. We both loved Kevin in different ways, and I was very close to him during the whole project.'' The author points out, however, that the original Tiny the Treefrog concept was hers, and when she approached Mr. Stevenson about it when it was in its embryo stage, he was immediately enthused.'' Tiny the Treefrog "Although he only saw a rough draft, he got very excited about it and encouraged me to finish it so that he could publish it,'' Ms Mulderig recalls.

"He was the one who took the ball and ran with it. He took care of the business end while I handled the creative end.'' Indeed, Mr. Stevenson's market strategy included a Tiny the Treefrog soft toy, as well as putting the stories on cassette tapes.

Ms Mulderig has consistently set her stories in Bermuda, and says she chose to base Tiny's Night Before Christmas on the Moore poem because she felt it would be fun to put him into the setting of a children's classic.

In addition to her work and that of Mrs. Stevenson, the author also pays tribute to Mrs. Stevenson's mother, `Tuppy' Cooper, whose task it was to edit the book.

"I just loved working with her because I think she is so talented,'' Ms Mulderig notes. "She definitely put the finishing polish to the words.'' Art director David A. Conrad is another friend, who lives in Boston, and with whom Ms Mulderig also went to school.

"Between David and Tina I had to re-do several illustrations until I got them right,'' she says. "Neither the words nor the artwork ended with me, but it is good that other people had their hands on the work.'' Declaring herself "thrilled'' with the finished product, the author won't be drawn on whether more Tiny the Treefrog books are in the offing.

"We thought the third one was the last, but you never know,'' she smiles.

"Certainly this one holds the deepest feelings for me.'' Tiny's Night Before Christmas is available in stores Islandwide at $15 per copy. For further information contact Mrs. Stevenson at the Bermudian Publishing Company (tel. 295-0695) or Ms Mulderig at 238-1488.