"On the first day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

A partridge in a pear tree."

For many centuries young and old alike have been singing about the maids a-milking, the lords a-leaping, and the partridge in a peart tree. A Christmas carol, a parlor game, and a delightful counting song—The Twelve Days of Christmas is indeed a favorite of the holiday season.

In this book, so sumptuously illustrated by Jan Brett, all the splendid images of The Twelve Days of Christmas come joyously alive. Look closely and you'll see not only the extravagant gifts given by a suitor to his lady, but a love story, a family's busy Christmas preparations, "Merry Christmas" in eleven languages, and a veritable menagerie of charming creatures.

Jan Brett's exquisitely detailed illustrations, so rich in traditional folk motifs, make this book a visual treat to be enjoyed over and over again.

From the dust jacket