12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Isadora continues her series of traditional tales (and now, a song) reset in Africa and illustrated with her visually arresting collages that incorporate African fabrics. The words of the song are familiar, but in this interpretation, the maids milk goats and the lords are masked dancers from Mali. Each spread is a surprise: some with children, some with animals, some showing homes or farm yards; the 11 pipers piping parade silhouetted against a setting or rising sun in one gorgeous double-page spread. The clever design uses a rebus format with tiny thumbnail reproductions of all the previous pages to aid in singing along. In all, this change of setting gives the old song new zest. A map and author’s note give the locations of many of the illustration sources. (Picture book. 4-7)