Every year I find several picture books dealing with a song that I actually don’t like all that much because I do like the illustrations, and this year that ‘12^th day’ fell on one of my posting days. I found two that I liked. :-)

Rachel Isadora puts an African spin in her 12 Days of Christmas. Usually a ‘snowy song’, here it is hot and dry, the leaping lords were inspired by dancers from Mali, and the ladies from women in Swaziland, and so on … Ms. Isadora lived in Africa for many years and her memories are reflected in her artwork here. Very nice indeed!

Another ‘unsnowy’ version of the song may be found in The Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas, by Colin Buchanan and Glen Singleton. This time all the gifts are ‘Aussie’, too … such as a platypus in a gum tree, cheeky chooks, sweaty swaggies and so forth. To add to the fun, there are other things to look for as well (lizards, goannas, etc.) so be sure to check at the back for the list! Lots of fun!

And lastly, just a fun book for both kids and adults. There are many, many books out on how to care for dogs, but, have you ever seen one for them caring for us? Well, I found one! How to Look After Your Human: a Dog’s Guide, by Maggie Mayhem, with help from Kim Sears and illustrated by Helen Hancocks is a must have guide for all dogs who are responsible for the care of a person. Fun!

Reading Hermit With Dog