12 Days of Christmas by Rachel Isadora

I have been a fan of Isadora’s retellings of classic European fairy tales with an African flair and this is no exception.  Isadora takes the Christmas carol and turns it into a celebration of both the holiday and Africa.  While the words remain the same as the traditional carol, Isadora interprets them in a new way.   The five gold rings are around a woman’s neck like women in South Africa.  Eight maids a-milking are milking goats rather than cows.  9 ladies dancing was inspired by women from Swaziland.  Isadora builds in the repeating section of the carol with a rebus that refers back to previous illustrations with clear numbers.  You can see the images used for the rebus on the cover of the book.  This adds an ease to the book that could have been overwhelmed with all of the text otherwise.  Isadora has created a global celebration with this book.

Isadora’s illustrations are really what makes this book unique.  Her African interpretations of the carol are engaging and refreshing.  Isadora uses collage to create her images.  Her use of painting effects on the paper she uses to make her collages add a definite texture and line to the illustrations.  She has created a book that has the hot sun and the glowing colors of Africa.

A very nice addition to library Christmas collections, this book will offer a glimpse of another part of the world through a familiar lens.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.