Hello, friends! Our book today is The 12 Days Of Christmas by Jill Howarth, a delightful board book version of the classic song.

Follow a gang of woodland friends as an adorable gray bunny is showered with gifts by a sly fox (Friend? Admirer? “True Love”?). Each page features the day’s gift in a fun, homey holiday setting: a snow-covered grove of trees where the animals all live, making goodies in Rabbit’s kitchen, and an especially cute bathtub filled with seven swans a-swimming. As the song reaches the “maids a-milking”, more woodland pals join in the fun, counting up to twelve and back, all the way down to the partridge in a pear tree.

Too sweet. Howarth’s retro-inspired illustrations are a perfect fit for such a familiar tune, evoking both the nostalgia of the song while creating a bright, colorful, and fresh visual story for little ones. JJ especially loved singing and counting along page to page, which the art made easy (the later verses tended to get a little busier visually, but Howarth always provides a cue – like a hat or instrument – to denote the drummers drumming or maids a-milking). This was a real treat, and JJ wanted to go back and read it again as soon as we were done – always a sign of a winner in our house. A fun and festive way to learn a classic, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)