The Twelve Days of Christmas in Tennessee #kidlit

Whether you are traveling, armchair traveling, or studying U.S. geography, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Tennessee* by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Mary Reaves Uhles is a rousing glimpse of the Volunteer State.

(*Amazon Affiliate link)

Written by Tennessee native Alice Faye Duncan, this fact-filled picture book uses a new take on layered text. The primary layer is a modified version of the popular Twelve Days of Christmas song appropriate for younger readers, starting with:

“On the first day of Christmas,
my cousin gave to me,
a mockingbird in a tulip poplar tree. “

What makes it unique is that the secondary text is epistolary — in the form of letters written from areas around the state. What a great idea! It attracts older readers and encourages the lost art of letter writing all in one.

To make it perfect to accompany a geography lesson, there’s a map of Tennessee on the title page labeled with the specific places the letters are written.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Tennessee would be a fun book to read this month and revisit throughout the year.

Related Activity Suggestions:

1. Check out the free 9-page activity kit from Sterling (PDF download)

2. Read more children’s books about Tennessee from our list at Reading Through the States

Reading ages : 5 and up
Publisher : Sterling Children’s Books; Illustrated edition (September 4, 2018)
ISBN-10 : 145492859X
ISBN-13 : 978-1454928591

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