Alison Jay

A little girl betrays humanity as she literally spreads the seeds of our destruction to feed our new giant bee overlord.

Well, at least that's how I read it, since the author has provided no words for guidance.

English picture-book author and artist Alison Jay turns her attention to the classic Christmas carol in this lovely holiday picture-book. The twelve verses of the song are paired with Jay's illustrations of the twelve gifts, as her artwork depicts an evidently much in love couple as they make their way to a Christmas ball, and then home again...

This lovely picture-book is the second Christmas title I have read from Jay, following upon her 2010 The Nutcracker, and is a wonderful addition to show more any collection devoted to Christmas carols. As someone with an interest in Christmas carol picture-books - I have now read around sixteen such titles devoted specifically to The Twelve Days of Christmas - I'm always eager to see what different artists will do with the same material. I appreciated the way Jay worked her carol into a larger visual story about a couple attending a ball, and (as always) I enjoyed her beautiful crackle-finish illustrations. I don't know that this will go on my favorites list - the best versions of this are the ones illustrated by Laurel Long and Jane Ray, in my opinion - but it is still a sweet little work. Recommended to fans of the artist, and to anyone seeking beautiful picture-book versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas. show less

English artist Alison Jay retells the classic Christmas fairy-tale of The Nutcracker in this lovely holiday picture-book, using the story from the ballet as a starting point, rather than the original tale from E.T.A. Hoffmann. All the incidents that are so well-known and loved from the ballet - the gift of the wooden Nutcracker to Clara, from her Godfather Drosselmeyer; the battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King; the journey to the Land of Sweets; the dances of the various national show more characters; the Sugar Plum Fairy's solo - are described here. The story concludes as Clara wakes the next day, keeping her adventure to herself, but hoping that every Christmas will be as magical as this one...

This iteration of The Nutcracker is a lovely one, boasting Jay's signature artwork, created in oil paint and finished with a crackle varnish that gives it its distinctive "cracked" appearance. The narrative is pleasant, and (as mentioned) covers all the usual incidents, but it is the artwork here that is the star. I enjoyed perusing these paintings, and appreciated the golden tone of Jay's palette. I found her plump cat, seen in many of the domestic scenes at Clara's house, particularly droll for some reason. It probably helps that I have a weakness for chubby kitties. There's plenty of sparkle to this picture-book (and glitter on the cover), and an overall "glowing" feeling to the artwork that suites the narrative quite well. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-book presentations of the story of the ballet, The Nutcracker. show less

Have I mentioned how much I loooove seek and find books? Well, I've just found another delicious one! A family walks through a very unusual zoo, where the animals mingle with the sightseers and mysterious little stories develop everywhere. I'm not sure how I feel about the "distinctive crackle-varnished" aspect of the artwork, which gives it little cracks, but I looove the images themselves. The penguins are adorably cylindrical (can you tell them apart from the balloons?) the women's skirts show more are marvelous spots of color, and the elephant, oh the elephant. Do you see his adorable roundness? His perfect plump blueness? I want an elephant like that.
Oh, and there's also a twisty map at the beginning and a series of pictures to find at the end.

Verdict: Best for one-on-one sharing, as the pictures need to be seen up close and it requires a special type of wordless book to be successful in storytime

ISBN: 978-0803731776; Published October 2008 by Dial; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist show less