The Twelve Days of Jamaican Christmas

A joyous celebration of Jamaican food — and of Christmas — set to the traditional song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, a debut picture book by acclaimed author Zalika Reid-Benta.

On the third day of Christmas, mi granny gave to me three beef patties, two sorrel drinks and some saltfish with some ackee. And then coco breads and Champagne colas. Plaintains and black cakes and breadfruits and yams — and don't forget the rice and peas!

This playful twist on the classic Christmas song builds a delicious festive feast, Jamaican style. As Granny bakes and roasts and fries, her family prepares for the season, shopping and decorating and "helping" in the kitchen, hungrily watching the dishes come together.

A joyful seasonal celebration of family and food.

Includes recipes for saltfish and ackee.

ZALIKA REID-BENTA is a Canadian writer. Her debut novel River Mumma received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist Magazine. River Mumma was selected as a Best Book of the Month for Amazon and Apple Books in February 2024. It was the October 2023 pick for the CityLine Book Club and has been listed as one of the best fiction books of 2023 on numerous platforms, including CBC Books, Indigo Books, Kobo Books and The Walrus.

MARIYAH RAHMAN is a children's book illustrator and background painter, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. She has a BFA in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design, specializing in entertainment arts. Clients include Titmouse Animation, Nix Hydra, Heinemann Publishing and Simon & Schuster. Her inspirations include literature, fantasy, and folklore, and she spends most of her free time reading, baking, and rolling around with her cats and dogs. Mariyah's debut picture book, Plátanos Are Love, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2023.