The Twelve Days of Christmas is brought to life through Britta Teckentrup’s beautiful illustrations and this gorgeous peep-through picture book introduces even the littlest of children to the familiar, festive song.
Two elf sweethearts sit on a snow covered branch on the front cover of the book. Surrounded by sparkly silver holly and snowflakes they look adoringly into each others’ eyes. Above them is a tree shaped hole through which we can see a partridge sitting in a pear tree and as we turn the pages the tree shape grows to accommodate each present. On the fourth day four more holes appear then more until the final page which shows all the presents interspersed with gold stars and snowflakes.
The elves appear on each page and engage in wintery activities that tie in with the rhyme, e.g. sharing a glass of milk from the milkmaids and rowing a boat when the swans are introduced. I like the lords-a leaping illustration where they dance with candy canes, there’s a Fred Astaire feel with the inclusion of top hats. My daughter likes the picture of the elves using a goose feather as a seesaw. On the twelfth day they kiss before wishing us a Merry Christmas.
With its shiny hard cover and sturdy pages this is a lovely book to bring out at Christmas year after year. The gorgeous illustrations are really festive and include many traditional Christmas images – holly, candy canes, ice skating and Christmas trees.
A beautiful, beautiful Christmas present for readers of all ages.
Age Range: 3+
Illustrator: Britta Teckentrup
Thank you to Antonia Wilson PR for sending us a copy of The Twelve Days of Christmas. We love this beautifully illustrated peep-through version 🙂
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