'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday 1 December 2017

Review: The Twelve Days of Christmas

What would the festive season be without The Twelve Days of Christmas?

There are few people who would not recognise the words and tune of this traditional rhyme, known and loved for many years.

In this version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, artist Anna Wright has produced a beautiful new edition to help celebrate Christmas.

It's classy and shows off Anna's distinctive style with animal characters being the stars on each page.

A partridge is proud and straight-backed. Five frogs perform with gold rings (they look like they are hula-hooping).

The maids milking are a mother pig and her babies suckling. Grasshoppers wearing top hats are depicted as the leaping lords, and the drummers drumming are woodpeckers working their beaks against tree trunks.

All are fabulous, and no matter how well you know the traditional rhyme, this gorgeous new take on it means there's a surprise on each page.

The artwork for The Twelve Days of Christmas is in pen, ink, watercolour and collage. Golds, yellows and browns mix with greens, pinks and other seasonal colours as you sing your way through the book (it's difficult not to sing something like this).

Even the endpapers are beautiful, and filled with pears from the partridge's pear tree.

A gorgeous gift book to treasure for all ages.

Title: The Twelve Days of Christmas
Author: Traditional
Illustrator: Anna Wright
Publisher: Faber and Faber, $24.99
Publication Date: October 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780571338931
For ages: 3+ years old
Type: Picture book