The Twelve Days of Christmas
Author: June Williams
Illustrator: John McIntosh
Publisher: Herron Book Distributors
No, this is not the old number about The Twelve Days of Christmas and what the true love gave. It is, instead a fresh take from down under where the true love gives a range of animals from Down Under.
So on the first day of Christmas the true love sent, an Emu up a gum tree. The author goes on to expand on the Emu up a gum tree, pointing out that an Emu in trouble is rather sad to see since everyone knows an Emu cannot fly. On the fourth day came Kookaburras who did nothing but laugh all day. Wombats, Numbats, screaming pink Galahs, Jabirus, Kangaroos and Platypuses are just some of the Australian creatures children are introduced to in a very enjoyable way.
All the animals are working with one purpose - to get the protagonist to help the Emu out of the tree while all he wants to do is kick back and snooze under his hat in peace. Does he get the Emu out of the tree? Does he appreciate the gifts of love sent to him? Only one way to find out!
The children have loved the book and like all such cumulative rhymes have learned it in no time and are taking great joy in exercising their lungs and memories alike. The illustrations by McIntosh are bang on, with a grumpy man in shorts, hidden under a slouchy hat painfully putting up with all the gifts his over enthusiastic true love is sending his way.
Additionally the last page carries the music for the song should you want to play and sing along. Definitely one of our favourite books this Christmas season.
4 comments:
Hi, can i ask you something? I'm looking for children books with "scary" animal illustrations like the big bad wolf (or a fox) eating pigs (or seven kids or Red Riding hood or birds in Chicken Little) or being pictured with a fat stomach. Have you seen any book of this sort? Any sort of help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Great blog, by the way!
nelly
Hi, Anon! Try any books illustrated by Dave McKean. There are some Miles Kelly books with fairly scary illustrations that you may check out. Here's a link.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ghost-stories-english-Childrens-Kindle-Books/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ghost%20stories%5Cc%20English&rh=n%3A69%2Ck%3AGhost%20stories%5Cc%20English%2Cp_n_binding_browse-bin%3A368165031&page=1#/ref=nb_sb_noss/276-9063106-5589202?url=node%3D69&field-keywords=miles+kelly+scary+stories&rh=n%3A266239%2Cn%3A%211025612%2Cn%3A69%2Ck%3Amiles+kelly+scary+stories
Sounds like a lovely book, MM! We love cumulative rhymes and the lovely way they lend themselves to singing.
One of our favorite carols, thanks to a Sabuda I picked up at Bangalore Book Fair for princely sum of Rs 20, in great condition. That alone made the entire trip worthwhile!
Has inspired many art/craft ideas in my 6-yr old, has led to much discussing of what it really means and how it is connected to the religion idea, and to a philosophical debate of what religion is all abut - delicious stuff when it involves a 6-yr old :)
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJxgWxWINbc
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