Greg Pizzoli's (Good Night Owl) jolly art marries perfectly with the exuberant classic Christmas carol in this illustrated version of The 12 Days of Christmas.
Readers may know these lyrics--at least the parts about the partridge and some golden rings--but Pizzoli imagines the chaos implicit in receiving so many gifts of live birds and musicians. One elephant child lavishes another with the multitudes named in the song while a horrified adult elephant tries to stave off the resulting pandemonium with a broom and a jumbo-sized bag of birdseed. The cheerily overstuffed spreads work as both sight gag and allegory for holiday excess and its attendant headaches. Pink and lime green put a bright spin on Christmas red and green, and Easter egg cameos from the cast of The Watermelon Seed, Number One Sam and Pizzoli's other works put the icing on the fruitcake in this festive delight. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager, main branch, Dayton Metro Library