The Twelve Days of Christmas

Pham 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.)