The Twelve Days of Summer (Hardcover)

On my third day of summer, the sunshine brought to me
Three ruffed grouse
Two goatsbeard seeds
And a song sparrow nest for three.
Patterned on the popular carol, The Twelve Days of Summer takes readers on a joyous journey into summer, from the first discovery of three eggs in a sparrow's nest to the day when those eggs hatch. Readers will pore over the pictures, searching for that fifth bumblebee, that tenth crow, and for the thoughtfully chosen toy that turns up on each page: a parachute with the goatsbeard seeds, a fan with the ruffed grouse This is a story to delight and engage children and adults alike.
The lyricism of The Twelve Days of Summer is no surprise coming from award-winning writer and storyteller Jan Andrews. Jan lives at the end of a road on a lake. "Song sparrows nest here each year," she says, "because we prefer to offer habitat rather than perfectly cut grass." Jan spends as much time as she can outdoors. Her most recent pursuit is whitewater canoeing. And when she's at home, she keeps her binoculars on hand.
Susan R. Jolliffe is fascinated with all aspects of nature, especially wildflower, insect and bird identification and ecology. She brought every bit of that fascination and expertise to her work on The Twelve Days of Summer. She used pens and brushes with archival inks and hard and soft colored pencils on very smooth, very white 90 lb watercolor paper. Apparently, Susan and her large, white standard poodle, Ginny, are just alike. "Except that I don't spin around when I meet people," Susan says.