The Shortest Day
Written by Susan Cooper
Illustrations by Carson Ellis
Published by Candlewick Press
on October 22, 2019
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Seasons
Length: 32 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository
Synopsis:
In this seasonal treasure, Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper's beloved poem heralds the winter solstice, illuminated by Caldecott Honoree Carson Ellis's strikingly resonant illustrations.
So the shortest day came,
and the year died...
As the sun sets on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness while wondering if the sun would ever rise again.
Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper's poem "The Shortest Day" captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before -- and the hope for peace that we carry into the future.
Our Thoughts:
Welcome, Yule!
Celebrate the winter solstice and the Yuletide season with this fantastic picture book version of Susan Cooper's poem, "The Shortest Day."
Paying homage to our ancestors and other people of the past, The Shortest Day shares the traditions of celebrating the sun that have endured through the ages, such as lighting candles in the trees and decorating with evergreens or keeping a roaring fire throughout the night and greeting the rising sun.
What better way to celebrate the first day of winter and the rebirth of life than to welcome the sun?! I love the simplicity of celebrating and welcoming the seasons with traditions of old and also love that so many of them overlap other religions/spiritualities so that no matter what you celebrate, there's something festive to look forward to for us all.
I'll admit that I've yet to see a theatrical production of "The Shortest Day" but it sounds absolutely delightful!
Do you celebrate the first day of winter?
No comments:
Post a Comment