Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Zany twist on Christmas carol is full of laughs and heart.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In a sort of foreword of THE 13TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, a tall, thin blond man speaks directly to the reader and confesses he was feeling lonely at Christmas because his girlfriend was visiting her parents. Then a gift from her arrived at his door: a partridge in a pear tree. "On the day after Christmas, my true love sent three more birds, including a second partridge and pear tree, so I figured it was a funny mistake, because I didn't know what was happening yet. You probably know. You've probably heard the song they wrote about me." By the first page, his home is filled with drummers drumming, milkmaids milking, geese a-laying, bagpipers piping, ladies dancing, etc. He calls Trudy, his girlfriend, but they get into an argument before he can clearly explain what's happened. He goes to see his mom at her senior apartment for comfort, but the whole crowd of people and animals from the verses of the Christmas carol follow him and turn into a parade through the city. Then city folk join the parade: "fun-runners running, electric bikers biking, skateboarders leaping, line dancers dancing." The man meets a kid who says his school needs books, so his crowd holds a bake sale and starts "a circus on purpose." They earn enough to buy "twelve new bestsellers, eleven books on science, ten graphic novels, nine real-life stories, eight medal winners, seven guides to crafting, six dictionaries, five Golden Books, four manuals, three handbooks, two story rugs, and a cartridge of ink for the library." Then his new friends help him celebrate Trudy's homecoming, the couple realizes the whole thing was a mistake, and Trudy surprises her boyfriend with his real gift.
Is It Any Good?
This rollicking, imaginative take on a beloved Christmas carol does the math on what would happen if a person actually sent all the multiplying gifts tallied up in "The 12 Days of Christmas." The unnamed main character and narrator notes he ended up with "a hundred and twelve cows, geese, and hens." But tucked in amid the raucous fun is a sweet message of sharing, thinking of others, love, a "crazy mix-up," and forgiveness. The 13th Day of Christmas deserves to be a holiday classic, even as it spoofs a musical holiday classic. Author-illustrator Adam Rex has outdone himself with this witty, overpopulated, wonderfully illustrated tale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the classic Christmas carol that inspired The 13th Day of Christmas. What would it be like to see all the things mentioned in the song marching through your town?
Which picture is your favorite? Which one is the funniest?
The main character is grateful for his gifts and tells his girlfriend how he feels. Why are gratitude and communication important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Adam Rex
- Genre : Holiday
- Topics : Animals , Arts , Holidays
- Character Strengths : Communication , Gratitude , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Neal Porter Books
- Publication date : September 9, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : November 12, 2025
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