Ever wished for some context on the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas?” In this funny and surprisingly moving story, the recipient of the elaborate gifts tells all. It begins, of course, with a bird and a tree, which is “nice enough.” He likes pears. “[My] true love sent it, so of course I loved it. Of course I did.” Twelve days later, the narrator (white) has an uncomfortable phone call with his true love concerning the hordes of people—drummers, milkmaids, dancers, men in leotards—and animals packed into his house like sardines (“Why did you think I would like this?”) Accompanied by his gifts, he visits his mother and inadvertently starts a parade. There he meets a child who says that he’d sell the cows’ milk to buy books for his school—and just like that, the narrator gains a little perspective. He and his posse organize a circus and a bake sale (“You can bake a lot of cakes when you have a hundred and twelve cows, geese, and hens…”), with proceeds going to the child’s library. It feels good to help. The narrator flies (on swans) to his true love, to thank her for the gifts… only to find that they weren’t what she’d intended to send. (The website had been “really confusing.”) Presented in full-page illustrations, as well as in panels with speech bubbles, the colorful, busy artwork is as amusing as the narrative of this offbeat, heartwarming holiday tale.

A partridge in a pear tree? Ten lords a-leaping? Now who would want such gifts? And more importantly--why would they be given?

Adam Rex investigates in this hilariously heart-warming tale based on one of the best-loved Christmas carols.

Our hero is having a lonesome Christmas away from his true love. So when she sends him a gift, of course he loves it--even if a partridge in a pear tree wasn't exactly on his wishlist.

Twelve days later, his home is crowded with more birds, milkmaids, pipers, and other guests than he can possibly make sense of. Why would his true love think he'd like this?!

His search for answers transforms the disaster into a source of joy for the whole town--complete with a parade, a circus, and a fundraiser for the school library. By the time his true love gets home, the man finally understands what she's given him: the true meaning of Christmas.

But she has no idea what he's talking about-- the whole thing was a wacky online shopping mixup. All she'd meant to buy was a pair of gold engagement rings. She meant to propose!

Adam Rex, creator of School's First Day of School and many other beloved books for children, strikes again with this hilarious twist on the classic carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. Sardonic and earnest in equal measures, The Thirteenth Day of Christmas is a hit for any day of the year.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection