“The Thirteen Days of Christmas” lets you bring Haunted Mansion Holiday home

Jim Hill

15 years ago

Boys and girls of every age, Would you like to see something strange?

Okay. I know. It’s July. Which is not exactly when people
start thinking about Halloween and/or Christmas.

But a book just hit store shelves that I know that Disneyana
fans – whether they’re Halloween fans and/or lovers of Christmas – are going to
have to own. And that’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Thirteen Days of Christmas
(Disney Press, July 2009).

Long story short: If you’ve ever ridden through “Haunted
Mansion Holiday” and then Ooohed or Aaahed at those over-sized tarot cards that
float above Madam Leota in that attraction’s séance circle room, “The Thirteen
Days of Christmas” is a must-have. Because this 32-page hardcover features
reproductions of all the images that you see on those cards.

Mind you, the text that you’ll read in this book ( which is
credited to Steven Davison and Carolyn Gardner) is somewhat different than what
you’ll hear inside of the attraction.

So instead of Madam Leota intoning “3 lifelines, extending
help to those in need …,” you get …

On the third day of Christmas
my ghoul love gave to me
three lifelines extending,
two true-love potions,
and a star for my fortune-card tree.

Which might upset the Haunted Mansion Holiday purists out there. But given that
this book is clearly supposed to be riffing on that “Twelve Days of Christmas”
song … I think that it’s entirely appropriate that Disney Press tweaked the
text a little.

Besides, it isn’t the words that is going to make “The Thirteen Days of
Christmas” a must-have for Nightmare Before Christmas
fans. It’s Tim Wollweber
& Sherri Lundberg’s illustrations.

Which do such a wonderful job of bringing Tim Burton’s truly
twisted characters to life.

So if you’d like to get an early start on your holiday
shopping (particularly for that Goth guy or gal on your list), might
I suggest that you pick a copy of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas:
The Thirteen Days Of Christmas” to place under the tree.

It’ll look great nestled up against a Santa Claus sack
that’s overflowing with red-and-white-striped … tentacle thingys.

Your thoughts?