Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas

Rapper/entrepreneur Cannon’s opening note says that he and his (now estranged) wife, Mariah Carey, had “so much fun putting this book together,” and this enthusiasm is evident—perhaps due to the stars of the book: their children Moroccan (“Roc”) and Munroe (“Roe”). Cannon’s version of this carol features the two children placing various ornaments on the family’s Christmas tree, but extra syllables (“On the first day of Christmas/ Roc and Roe put on their Christmas tree”) make for an awkward singalong. Ford’s (Under the Same Sun) cartoons are similarly underwhelming—more dashed-off sketches than the richly rendered work his readers are used to. The book never shakes the feel of a vanity project—readers will have to care quite a bit about Cannon’s family to bother with it. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Robert Caruso, Impact Republic; Ncredible Entertainment. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)