The Twelve Days of Christmas

With the publication of this volume, the illustrator of The Hedgehog Boy and The Bremen-Town Musicians , a Caldecott Honor Book, adds another outstanding accomplishment to her credit. Reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, Plume's lyrical paintings incorporate exquisitely rendered flowers, fruits and animals into elaborate Italian Renaissance settings, in which a golden-haired maiden is given the familiar series of Christmas gifts by her generous ``true love.'' Plume's extensive research of this intriguing era and its art has produced a labor of love. The handsome volume features parchment-colored pages whose edges have been darkened and ``cracked'' to enhance the antiquarian illusion. The song's musical arrangement is also included in the book, which deserves a spot under every Christmas tree. All ages. (Sept.)