Native American Twelve Days of Christmas

Following their Native American Night Before Christmas, collaborators Robinson, who is of Cherokee and Choctaw descent, and late Cherokee artist Hummingbird celebrate the holiday customs and traditions of 12 “Native American cultural groups from different parts of the U.S.”—including Apache, Lakota, and Pueblo peoples—in this reimagining. Employing the source material’s foundation, Robinson adapts the lyrics to include culturally significant actions, items, and entities (“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.../ a blanket for my tipi”). Straightforward text contextualizes each adapted lyric on verso pages (“Today, Indian trade blankets are still prized by Native peoples”), while Hummingbird depicts wide-eyed characters engaging in yuletide scenes on the recto. A holiday readaloud that begs for multiple recitations. Ages 3–5. (Aug.)