The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Alison Jay (Koala Books)

HB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-74276-114-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a classic Christmas carol which most people know well. On each of the twelve days of Christmas, a man buys a gift for his true love, each one getting bigger and more extravagant.

The counting and the repetition within the lyrics make it perfect for a picture book but the absolute delight (and cleverness) of The Twelve Days of Christmas is the illustrations. There is so much to marvel over on so many different levels.

At first glance they are old-fashioned paintings; beautiful, glowing scenes, cracked with age. But the closer you look, the more you see. From the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations in the town to the quieter, but still active, country life, there is so much going on around the man and woman as they walk through the story.

Every page provides a clue to what the next gift will be – on the page before ‘six geese a-laying’ two geese float on the river as the couple cross a bridge. Hidden away on every page is Father Christmas, and he is not always easy to spot!

Also hidden away on most pages are little humorous scenes – such as a policeman chasing a turkey down the street – and links back to precious gifts. And I’m sure much more that I have missed. These are illustrations which can be studied for great lengths of time.

So many themes of Christmas are included; families, carolling, gifts, and parties. 

This is an engrossing book for quiet contemplation as well as for reading to young ones during the December preparations.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Alison Jay (Koala Books)

HB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-74276-114-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a classic Christmas carol which most people know well. On each of the twelve days of Christmas, a man buys a gift for his true love, each one getting bigger and more extravagant.

The counting and the repetition within the lyrics make it perfect for a picture book but the absolute delight (and cleverness) of The Twelve Days of Christmas is the illustrations. There is so much to marvel over on so many different levels.

At first glance they are old-fashioned paintings; beautiful, glowing scenes, cracked with age. But the closer you look, the more you see. From the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations in the town to the quieter, but still active, country life, there is so much going on around the man and woman as they walk through the story.

Every page provides a clue to what the next gift will be – on the page before ‘six geese a-laying’ two geese float on the river as the couple cross a bridge. Hidden away on every page is Father Christmas, and he is not always easy to spot!

Also hidden away on most pages are little humorous scenes – such as a policeman chasing a turkey down the street – and links back to precious gifts. And I’m sure much more that I have missed. These are illustrations which can be studied for great lengths of time.

So many themes of Christmas are included; families, carolling, gifts, and parties. This is an engrossing book for quiet contemplation as well as for reading to young ones during the December preparations.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood by Alison Jay (Koala Books)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74276-071-1

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

This is the story of Little Red Riding Hood. As far as versions of this classic fairytale go, this retelling doesn’t stray too far from the path. Like the girl herself, this tale strolls through the wood, is momentarily distracted by the wolf, and then continues on towards grandma’s house where trouble is waiting in the form of The Big Bad Wolf with his big ears, big eyes and big teeth. Little Red Riding Hood is saved by a brave woodcutter, Grandma is let out of the wardrobe and they all live happily ever after.

However...Little Red Riding Hood does live in Fairytale Village. And it is here, according to the prologue, ‘where stories happen every day’. These stories happen in every picture, in every scene in this charming, engrossing picture book. If you look closely in the illustration where Little Red Riding Hood is picking flowers for Grandma (at the wolf’s suggestion) you may see Puss in Boots asleep up a tree while his boots rest at the foot of the trunk. You may see Hansel & Gretel in the distance, or the Three Billy Goats Gruff crossing a bridge. And many of these stories are continued on throughout the book.

It is a treasure trove of characters for young children who know their fairytales. The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Gingerbread Man and the Frog Prince are among those who make an appearance. A child could spend hours spotting and following different fairytales through this story.

Jay’s illustrations are lovely. They are colourful and busy but not over-detailed. Despite the amount going on in each picture, the scenes are uncrowded and calm, allowing young children the space to easily see all the stories within. The crackled appearance of these illustrations makes them seem like old oil paintings.

This is a picture book which blends the experience of pictures and text perfectly. And it gives young children who do not read yet the chance to ‘read’ their own story in the pages. It is a fantastically entertaining book.

Picture Book Review: Cloth From the Clouds

Cloth from the Clouds by Michael Catchpool, illustrated by Alison Jay (Walker Books)

HB RRP $29.95

ISBN 9781862337992

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

A boy spins thread from the clouds – gold in the morning, white in the afternoon and crimson at evening – to weave cloth on his loom, but only as much as needed. His mother’s words are always foremost in his mind as he works, ‘Enough is enough and not one stitch more.’ He weaves two scarves, one to protect his head when it is hot and another to wrap around his neck when it is cold.

The King notices the uniqueness of the cloth and orders the boy to make a longer scarf for him. The child tries to explain that the king doesn’t need it. This angers the royal who commands the boy to do what he’s told. The finished item is breathtaking. So much so, he then commands clothing for his wife and daughter.

Slowly the precious resource is exhausted.  There are no clouds, therefore no rain for the farmers and their flocks and crops. It is not until the princess, believing ‘there is still time’, rolls up the garments and returns them to their source, that the clouds and a natural balance is restored once again.

Awareness between need and want, greed and excess, is the theme of this poignant, and delicately illustrated book. The illustrations throughout are created to identify with cracked china, symbolic of the fragile state of nature, and the outcome of misuse by humankind. The joyous fact that children have the wisdom to see things clearer than the adults projects hope and optimism for the future.

This is definitely a book that will be shared and discussed by adult and child readers because of the significant messages it carries.