The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett

From the Publisher

Jan Brett's The Twelve Days of Christmas has long been a holiday favorite. Now this classic picture book is a charming board book for sharing the wonder and magic of Christmas with the youngest readers. And like the board book editions of The Mitten and The Hat, it will be the perfect

Publishers Weekly

``On the first day of Christmas,/ My true love gave to me/ A partridge in a pear tree.'' A straightforward beginning to a carol that grows increasingly complicated as both the list of presents and the numbers involved accumulate. Brett's lavish treatment of the song portrays various levels of meaning; she has illustrated the fantastic gifts in outrageous splendor (seven swans swim in folkloric Russian headdresses), turned them into a border of tree decorations, included a menagerie of animals carrying banners with ``Merry Christmas'' in different languages, and set into the outer edges of each page an ongoing story about a family's preparations for the big day itself. In the final frame, the decorated tree serves as the centerpiece for their own caroling. The artist demonstrates, once again, that she will not relinquish a project before every last glorious detail is in place; the clarity of her vision is stunning. (All age)

Publishers Weekly

Jan Brett's interpretation of The Twelve Days of Christmas returns as a board edition. PW said, "[Brett] illustrates the fantastic gifts in outrageous splendor,... turns them into a border of tree decorations, includes a menagerie of animals carrying banners with `Merry Christmas' in different languages and sets into the outer edges of each frame an ongoing story about a family's preparations for the big day itself." Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Marilyn Courtot - Children's Literature

Not only will Brett's fans be enthralled by her version of this Christmas song, but also anyone who picks it up will enjoy the vibrant illustrations and the delightful story within the story. The center panels relate to the song while the side panels tell a story of a young couple and their family finding and decorating their holiday tree. Christmas greetings are offered in a dozen languages and skillfully woven into the corner illustrations. Now available in board book form, this delightful book will be enjoyed by a whole new generation of little ones. 2004 (orig. 1986), Putnam, Ages 2 to 5.

Children's Literature

Not only will Brett's fans be enthralled by her version of this Christmas song, but also anyone who picks it up will enjoy the vibrant illustrations and the delightful story within the story. The center panels relate to the song while the side panels tell a story of a young couple and their family finding and decorating their holiday tree. Christmas greeting are offered in a dozen languages and an Editor's Note provides some background about the song, the text and music of which appear on the opening pages.

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