View source for The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Alison Ritchie and Marisa Morea

{{infobox1
|title=The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
|sort=Twelve Dogs of Christmas
|author=Alison Ritchie and Marisa Morea
|reviewer= Anne Thompson
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= This is a happy, rhyming picture book providing a different sort of countdown to Christmas with lots of appeal for very young children. A good read aloud for the festive season.
|rating=4
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=32
|publisher=Simon and Schuster Children’s Books
|date=October 2017
|isbn= 978-1471166174
|website=Checked
|video= ZQkDg97MGyI
|cover=Ritchie_12
|aznuk=1471166171
|aznus=1471166171
}}
 
Christmas is approaching and one little puppy is very excited about his first ever Christmas Day. Everywhere he looks the preparations are underway with every dog in town helping out. However will so many eager assistants joining in the fray help or hinder and will everything ever be ready in time?

With links to the traditional song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, this would be a good picture book to share during the festive season. Whereas the song details presents arriving after Christmas Day this provides a countdown to the day itself.  With Four French Bulldogs and Five Golden Retrievers being just some of the dogs joining in the preparations some children may like to identify similarities with the original lyrics. The rhyming text ensures that this would work well read aloud and the vibrant illustrations contain plenty to look at too. This would appeal to young children who like to chat about the content of the pictures and particularly those who are dog-lovers.

The illustrations provide the opportunity to introduce counting games with very young children and to play spot the inquisitive pup on each page adding to the book’s value. The story also includes many Christmas traditions such as collecting the tree, preparing the cake, carol singers, the school play and wreaths on the front door which parents or teachers may like to talk about with under-fives in the build-up to the big day. This is a cheery picture book and one that would be fun to share as part of a family’s annual Christmas preparations as they can compare the puppy’s countdown with their own.

Thank you to the publishers for providing this copy for review.

Another book about preparing for Christmas which you may like to share is the charming [[Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer]].
 
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[[Category:Alison Ritchie]][[Category:Marisa Morea]]