Grandma Is Overly Generous: A Retelling of the Twelve Days of Christmas
by Alex T. Smith; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    MCB/Pan Macmillan    56 pp.
10/24    9781035051984    $12.99

An over-the-top grandma is the one sending presents in this takeoff on the popular Christmas carol. Her gifts on the first six days hew close to the original, but then things take a turn. Rather than seven swans a-swimming, Grandma sends her granddaughter Eloise “seven squirrels a-snorkelling.” Smith’s vibrantly illustrated three French hens don berets and ascots while carrying French flags. Each page is designed to suggest an envelope with funny details; for example, the squirrels come from “The Rub-A-Dub Home Pamper Service.” The twelfth day brings a surprise practical gift, and the book ends with Eloise sending her grandma—of course—a thank-you note.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.