The Twelve Days of Christmas

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The classic Christmas carol comes to life with the illustrations of Lara Hawthorne.

Lara Hawthorne's style comes through in these beautiful illustrations. The girl starring in the book begins with a few animal friends -- a dog, a black cat, and a mouse. These animals continue through the story on each page and add another animal (partridge, hens, etc.) as each thing is added in the song.

There are so many details in the images that it would be a fun book to go through as a family and point out the different things you see. "Find the black cat" or "find the mouse" will be popular games with this title! One of my favorite small details is one of the six geese a-laying -- who has made a nest on the toilet and has toilet paper in her mouth! I also loved the mouse wearing a top hat and carrying a cane for ten lords a-leaping and playing a drum with the twelve drummers drumming.

True to the detail of the rest of the book, there is a bonus spread at the end with all of the characters from the carol hidden for you to find. In this picture, the woman and her "true love" (also a woman) are surrounded by their animals and the gifts from the carol.

Highly recommended for families looking for a fun Christmas activity and story to read.

Lara Hawthorne is an award-winning illustrator. She lives in Bristol.

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (Quarto)

Length: 32 pages

Release Date: October 6, 2020

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I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.