There was a pig/Went out to dig. On Christmas Day,/On Christmas Day. There was a pig/Went out to dig, On Christmas Day/In the morning. Sing along with this traditional farming carol and join in with the actions too. Plough with the cow, harrow with the sparrow, sow with the crow, reap with the sheep, rake with the drake, winnow with the minnow...and have fun with each and every one! John Langstaff's fascinating foreword gives a little of the carol's history and background.

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2001 by Walker Books Ltd .

John Langstaff has spent much of his life sharing his love of music with audiences young and old. He was born on Christmas Eve in New York, but now lives in Massachussetts. Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than forty books for children, including Love and Kisses. In her illustrator notes at the back of On Christmas Day in the Morning, she writes "I researched the many symbols and images associated with the Christmas season. These rich symbols, associated with nature, agriculture and the cycle of seasons, originated long before the time of Jesus Christ, and continue to remind us of joy, abundance and rebirth. " She includes brief notes on mistletoe, oak, holly, laurel, Christmas rose, pomegranate and wheat. Melissa Sweet has illustrated many books for children, including Charlotte in Giverny . She lives in Rockport, Maine.