Twelve Dinging Doorbells by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, is set to the tune of the familiar Twelve Days of Christmas. In this version, a little girl gathers with family for the holiday. As the doorbell rings, relatives arrive filling the house with foods such as chitlins and baked macaroni and cheese. The girl can’t wait to taste Granny’s sweet potato pie. But with all the relatives, especially toddlers, will she get any?
“At the first dinging doorbell this holiday I see…a sweet potato pie just for me.”
My kindergartners and I enjoyed reading and singing this story. We loved the macaroni and cheese refrain. And we liked learning new vocabulary, such as chitlins and posh sibs. This is a contemporary retelling of a popular song, perfect for classrooms of many faiths.
I encouraged my students to try adding their own foods and traditions from their holiday celebrations to the song.
Adorable illustrations and a fun retelling make this a must-have for classrooms!
This is a genius idea!
Thank you!