The Twelve Hours of Christmas

by Jenn Bailey, Bea Jackson (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Jenn Bailey’s illustrated twist of the 12 Days of Christmas is a heartwarming read for a meaningful family read-along.

In this reinvention of the classic holiday carol "The 12 Days of Christmas," five golden rings become five Nana hugs, eight maids a-milking become eight mugs of cocoa, and much more, as a family comes together to celebrate the holidays.

In the first hour of Christmas Santa left for me…a kitten underneath the Christmas tree!
 
It’s December 25th, and one big family isn’t wasting a minute of this special day! Grandparents arrive, cousins build snowmen, Uncle Lee tells jokes, Auntie takes pictures, and the whole family shares a holiday feast before it’s finally time to say goodbye and good night. This fun-filled, modern take on the classic song celebrates the most important part of Christmas Day: being together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316330978
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/10/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jenn Bailey is the author of the Schneider Family Honor Book A Friend for Henry. She is also an editor, a documentarian, a blue-ribbon pie baker, and an eager traveler. She lives in Kansas with her husband Kevin (he makes the best tea) and invites you to visit her online at jennbailey.com.
 
Brittany Jackson is the New York Times bestselling illustrator Parker Looks Up and Parker Shines On, among others. She has also worked as a character and outfit designer for social networking and gaming platforms. She lives in Michigan and invites you to visit her online at beagifted.com or on Instagram @bea.gifted.
 

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/28/2023

“In the first hour of Christmas, Santa left for me.../ a kitten underneath the Christmas tree!” begins this warm, family-focused variation on “The 12 Days of Christmas.” During the holiday’s second hour, twins, “dressed up to be... two stomping dinos,” scare the feline away. The book’s narrator, hair in a curly puff and beaded braids, goes on to count three French toasts, five Nana hugs, six older cousins, and more, all adding up to 12 hours of Christmas shenanigans for an affectionate Black family. Carrying the charm of old-school watercolor paintings and the cinematic appeal of film, Jackson’s light-dappled illustrations further contribute a seek-and-find element via the kitten hiding across the spreads, while Bailey’s rhyming lines bring the holiday’s cozy ups and downs to this view of a bustling family celebration. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

* "Carrying the charm of old-school watercolor paintings and the cinematic appeal of film, Jackson’s light-dappled illustrations further contribute a seek-and-find element via the kitten hiding across the spreads, while Bailey’s rhyming lines bring the holiday’s cozy ups and downs to this view of a bustling family celebration."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "[The illustrations] beautifully capture the joy of a Christmas morning spent with relatives and the cozy fun of a winter day. When little ones realize that the kitten can actually be spotted on each spread, they’ll be eagerly flipping back through the pages to find it peeking out.... An enchanting, family-centered take on 'The Twelve Days of Christmas.'"—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This cozy Christmas tale centering a Black family feels new and familiar at the same time. A recommended purchase."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2023

PreS-Gr 3—This take on "The Twelve Days of Christmas" showcases a Christmas day full of fun and family. A young girl with brown skin wakes up on Christmas morning to find a kitten under the tree. "In the first hour of Christmas, Santa left for me— … a kitten underneath the Christmas tree! In the second hour of Christmas, the twins dressed up to be— … two stomping dinos and a kitten —… Uh-oh! Where can she be?" Here starts the 12-hour day in which the kitten remains hidden and the girl's twin brothers get into many antics in their dinosaur costumes. As the day continues, extended family members, including Uncle Lee, Nana, and cousins, arrive to join in snowman-making, putting whipped cream in a sleeping Gramps's goatee, plenty of food, and a family picture by the tree. Digital illustrations of reds and greens, along with various shades of brown, enhance the cozy text. Author and artist pay attention to detail as they follow through the story; jokes from a book introduced in the fourth hour are sprinkled throughout, and front end papers show the house decorated, complete with falling snow—back end papers show the same scene, this time at night, complete with the snowmen that were made in the seventh hour. Readers and listeners will enjoy singing the words of the story to the tune of the familiar Christmas carol. VERDICT This cozy Christmas tale centering a Black family feels new and familiar at the same time. A recommended purchase.—Florence Simmons

School Library Journal

★ 2023-08-12
An extended Black family enjoys Christmas Day in this playful story based on the classic holiday tune.

The story opens on “the first hour of Christmas” as a child discovers a gift from Santa, a kitten, under the tree. But at the “second hour,” the young narrator’s twin brothers appear (dressed as “two stomping dinos”), and the kitten hides and remains concealed through “three French toasts” for breakfast, “five Nana hugs,” and “eight mugs of cocoa,” all the way up to “twelve loud long ‘Love you’s’ ” as the uncles, aunts, and cousins depart. The mischievous twins settle down while the kitten reappears and snuggles with the narrator. Whether singing the text to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” or simply reading it, children will be engaged. Filled with expressive faces and bright red and green hues against white backgrounds, the illustrations have an old-school feel; they beautifully capture the joy of a Christmas morning spent with relatives and the cozy fun of a winter day. When little ones realize that the kitten can actually be spotted on each spread, they’ll be eagerly flipping back through the pages to find it peeking out. Other repeated phrases and events are referenced throughout, keeping the spreads feeling fresh and dynamic. Number words are highlighted in red throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An enchanting, family-centered take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews