The Twelve Hours of Christmas

by Jenn Bailey, Bea Jackson (Illustrator)

In this reinvention of the classic holiday carol "The 12 Days of Christmas," five golden rings become five Nana hugs, eight maids a-milking become eight mugs of cocoa, and much more, as a family comes together to celebrate the holidays.

In the first hour of Christmas  Santa left for me… a kitten underneath the Christmas tree!
 
It’s December 25th, and one big family isn’t wasting a minute of this special day! Grandparents arrive, cousins build snowmen, Uncle Lee tells jokes, Auntie takes pictures, and the whole family shares a holiday feast before it’s finally time to say goodbye and good night. This fun-filled, modern take on the classic song celebrates the most important part of Christmas being together.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Family, Holiday, African American, Storytime, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Jenn Bailey is an author, editor, documentarian, blue-ribbon pie baker, and eager traveler. She received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Born and raised in Rhode Island, she now calls Kansas City home where she lives with her husband, three sons, and numerous cats and dogs. Jenn was inspired to write Henry's story after watching her own sons, one who is on the autism spectrum, navigate finding a friend - a process which took patience, time, and courage. But finding the right one was always, always worth it.

Reviews

[Nakia's Hideaway]

Loved this! The illustrations and the cute little tuxedo cat hiding on every page! Will want to reread this every Christmas.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet reimagining of the twelve days of Christmas following one family on Christmas day. See if you can spot the very cute kitten on every spread!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So lovely and sweet it makes me sniffle. I'd love to see more by the creators. I wish I knew a child to share this with.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this because the illustrations are so warm and sweet. However, I couldn’t get behind the story. The family togetherness is nice but I just couldn’t get past the idea that the little girl gets a kitten first thing Christmas morning, the kitten gets scared by brothers roughhousing and rushes off, and… the girl spends absolutely NO time looking for the kitten! Doesn’t the little girl want to find her kitten!? Doesn’t she care!? Poor kitty could be goodness knows where, terrified, getting into something dangerous, etc. and the little girl just goes on with her Christmas day as if nothing has happened – starts eating pancakes, opening more gifts, greeting arriving relatives…. And where are the grown-ups? Does no one care about this poor kitten? The kitten does appear in the girl’s lap at the end of the story (not sure why or how!) but it just really bothered me that no one ever gave it a second thought for eleven hours. Not a good example to young children reading this book. If this is supposed to be a seek-and-find book, I found it a distressing one (we see the cat hiding various places around the house staring out while the family is utterly oblivious and carries on with their festivities). Giving a living creature as a gift is not something to be done lightly. There is a huge financial and lifestyle commitment for the recipient and you should absolutely know whether they can handle the responsibility. Also, the holidays are a hectic time and may not be the best time to bring in a new furry family member who will likely need a calm, quiet space to adjust to a new environment. While it is a nice idea to want to give the gift of a furry companion (especially if a rescue animal), it should not be taken lightly. Sadly, this book only reinforces the idea that the new kitten is just another plaything to unwrap on Christmas morning only to be forgotten about when something more exciting comes along.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: In the first hour of Christmas, Santa left for me...a kitten underneath the Christmas tree!
In the second hour of Christmas, the twins dressed up to be...two stomping dinos and a kitten...Uh-oh! Where can she be?
In the third hour of Christmas, it's breakfast finally! Three French toasts, two chomping dinos, and a kitten missing from the Christmas tree.

Premise/plot: This picture book is a [great] spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas. The original song can be a bit annoying. This picture book avoids all the annoyances. It's just good fun.

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. It may be my favorite of the picture books in today's picture book parade. I loved the family. It seems so authentically human. Like this family has been brought to life. It helps that it stars a kitten who appears to be hiding from the rowdier members of the family. I also adored the illustrations.

[Jillian]

No Rating

A sweet and relaxed Christmas picture book I read before bed. It's cute, written in the style of the classic song "12 Days of Christmas." It's a good one to read before bedtime during the holidays. While the artwork was gorgeous, I would be lying if I did not say the illustrations did not give me any anxiety. My family was just not the type to dress up and gather with so many relatives in one house. The Christmas visits were usually spread out in the days leading up to it, with the day in question being a more personal ones in our pajamas/at-home lounge clothes.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: This Twelve Days of Christmas Carol parody is about a large family gathering twelve hours before Christmas.

Comments: This is a lovely picture book of a family with a nana and grandpa, cousins, aunties, and uncles visiting to celebrate the holiday together.

I was looking forward to each hour to see what would happen next.

The illustrations convey the happiness and love of the family. Be sure to spot the hidden kitten throughout the picture book.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is super cute! The text isn't always perfectly singable with the original meter, but this is a creative reimagining of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," covering the many fun activities that a family packs into the twelve hours of their Christmas Day. The illustrations are radiant, and so emotionally expressive! I would definitely recommend this.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This modern take on The Twelve Days of Christmas chronicles all the excitement of the holiday, starting with a kitten from Santa to three French toasts, five Nana hugs, eight mugs of cocoa, and so much more. Colorful, joyous illustrations highlight the love and hijinks that are a part of this Black family's celebration. Finding the missing kitten in each spread adds to the fun.

[Danica is Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun, and creative reimagining of The Twelve Days of Christmas. I dare you to not sing along as you read this. The illustrations were vibrant and playful, as was the writing. You definitely shouldn't take this one too seriously, but I think it would be a fun addition to a Christmas picture book collection.

[GlitterWater79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Christmas 2024 has come and gone, but I bought this one to read before the holidays and it fell off my radar in all the holiday festivities so got to it late. Read this one to my great niece today. It’s a fun take on the twelve days of Christmas. The art is gorgeous. Will read this one every year!

[LaSheba Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute! A sweet story that spins the classic twelve days of Christmas into the twelve hours of Christmas. The book has a simple storyline and beautiful illustrations. Try to find the missing kitten in each different scene. 🎄🐈

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet version based on The Twelve Days of Christmas. Readers see how much joy gathering together can bring. I love the missing kitten as the first day narrative. Look hard to find it on each page spread.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated

[Tony Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and beautifully illustrated.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read to children during Christmas. It is like 12 days of Christmas but with hours. It makes you think about Christmas day around family and how that time is spent.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book all about Christmas. Instead of days it is hours of Christmas. The family is full of love and fun! The illustrations were my favorite part with all the bright colors and details!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joyous and fun read about a family celebrating Christmas day! Readers will enjoy noticing the missing kitten throughout the book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun take on the 12 Days of Christmas with beautiful illustrations.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the take on the 12 Days of Christmas. Gorgeous illustrations. I would like to see more books with this family.

[GS Dachslove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute take on 12 days of Christmas with a cat to find on each page and diverse characters.

[HeatherREADS · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! A great modern take on the traditional song. Loved the illustrations! Highly recommend for some holiday reading.

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous, stunning, realistic artwork in this book! I am going to highly enjoy sharing this with students in the library!

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids loved reading (well, singing) this book and finding the sweet kitten on each page. It's a new Christmas favorite!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive, but good art and a cute kitten.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun to sing with the littles. They loved searching for the kitten in each picture. Illustrations were 5/5.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute version of the Christmas classic song told family style in this children's picture book. My granddaughter LOVED this book, and we read (sang) it through several times.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely Christmas book with vibrant, yet cozy illustrations. A perfect mix of everything we hope the holidays might bring: family, food, fun, and if we are good, an extra special Christmas gift!

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfectly delightful book! My granddaughters wanted me to read (actually sing) it over and over again. The words and pictures are absolutely perfect!!! Highly recommended!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous. This is the only one so far this season that my daughter has asked to re-read. You can feel the love and warmth radiating off of every page.