I've always loved this song, and my kids all know it by heart. So it was a natural that I'd be illustrating it someday! The book just came out today, but maybe do your shopping a little bit early! And if you leave a comment or contact me through my website, I'll put you on the mailing list for a christmas card, taken from images in the book!
Here's the STARRED review from Publisher's Weekly:
«THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMASLeUyen Pham. Doubleday, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-385-37413-2Pham brings an international scope to this traditional holiday song. A youthful couple, donning their Christmas finery, lead a playful dance through the song’s cumulative lyrics as the boy tries to wrangle each unwieldy gift for his girl. Pham’s (A Piece of Cake) eye for detail is evident as she showcases varieties of French hens, geese, and swans, but her paintings truly shine in the depiction of maids, lords, drummers, and ladies who hail not just different countries, but varied periods in history. Milkmaids from Africa, Europe, Asia and beyond greet the children; a Peruvian pan flutist rubs shoulders with a Scottish bagpiper; and so on—it’s nothing short of a global postcard. Musical notation and a note about the song’s origins are included, and readers are invited to locate all 78 gifts. Ages 3–7. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Sept.)Reviewed on 09/12/2014 | Details & Permalink
And for those who've been talking about diversity in books, this one's got in spades. My 8 maids, 9 ladies, 10 lords, 11 pipers, and 12 drummers all hail from around the world!
There will be a special book event for this one on November 23rd, where I'll be holding a crafts event to make ornaments from the book. It'll be at Folio Books in Noe Valley, San Francisco, starting at 3 pm. More details to come!
