The Twelve Hours of Christmas
by Jenn Bailey; illus. by Brittany Jackson
Preschool, Primary    Little, Brown    32 pp.
10/23    9780316330978    $18.99

This picture book joyfully reimagines the popular Christmas carol and counts down twelve hours of a Black family’s celebration. The day begins with a young girl finding a kitten under the tree, but by the second hour: “Uh-oh! Where can she be?” Amid the search, the hours bring five nana hugs, six older cousins, and more. Jackson’s warm, digitally rendered illustrations showcase the variety of skin tones and hairstyles commonly found in African American families. The day ends with a safely located kitten and twelve “loud long ‘love you’s” as holiday guests head home: a perfect ending to the family’s Christmas Day.

From the November/December 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.