Charley Harper's A Partridge in a Pear Tree

by Charley Harper

Never before published, A Partridge in a Pear Tree wasn't intended as a commercial venture. Artist Charley Harper - perhaps with his wife, Edie, also an artist - created the fun little book for his family. A playful riff on the traditional Yuletide carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," Partridge is the kind of whimsy an artist dashes off while relaxing around the fireplace - and that's the beauty of it. With its pastel sketches and humorous text, this sweet take on a holiday classic provides an intimate look at Harper's fun-loving personality.

Genres: Holiday, Christmas

28 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2014

About the author

A Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations.

Reviews

[StephanieNicole]

4.5 stars

I docked half a star because the pastels artwork is more simplistic than I had been expecting from Charley Harper, but it is still pretty. This is the classic Twelve Days of Christmas lyrics with some added (amusing) commentary. This book is small and would make a good stocking stuffer.

[Janet]

This slim small volume is aimed at adults and illustrates the old traditional Christmas song, “A Partridge. In a Pear Tree”. The illustrations done by Charley Harper are very different from the way he illustrates his animals in wildlife paintings. These have a very childlike look and feel, but yet in my opinion is aimed at adults.

[Janie E.]

According to the jacket flap, this was found after Harper's death; it was obviously not intended for publication, but it's still semi-interesting if you're a fan of the artist. He illustrates the song in a very sketchy manner that is obviously looser and more improvisational than his typical style. He adds little editorial comments to the song as well. Worth a look, but probably won't stay in my personal collection.

[Margie]

A different take on the traditional holiday song, Charley Harper probably couldn't resist drawing more birds, along with the other characters. And in his usual style, there are fun comments caption to go along with each drawing as the numbers progress. This work was found after his death and fans of Charley Harper's work will enjoy this light-hearted look at a Christmas tradition.

[Nan]

Loved this Twelve Days of Christmas story with funny editorial comments from Harper. The illustrations are quick sketches that are different from Harper's printed work, but are charming and whimsical.

[Michael]

A Partridge in a Pear Tree written with a few side notes and Charley Harper's artwork. Work was written and illustrated years prior to his death, but never published.