The Shortest Day
Hardcover – Picture Book, October 22, 2019
Candlewick Press · Hardcover · October 22, 2019
A New York Times bestseller!
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- Who it’s for
- A winter-solstice poem pairs with resonant illustrations to honor shared traditions and the returning light.
- Themes
- Winter solstice, Traditions across generations, Light and renewal
- Genres
- Poetry, Christmas & Advent, Seasons
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A New York Times bestseller! 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 set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles.
Continue reading
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. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!
Light in Winter
A winter-solstice poem pairs with resonant illustrations to honor shared traditions and the returning light.
Come here for
- A seasonal poem rooted in the shortest day
- Images of fire, candlelight, and communal celebration
Expect
- A brief, lyrical welcome to the returning light
- A theatrical poem presented as an illustrated picture book
Where it sits
| Seasons | 75% |
|---|---|
| Christmas & Advent | 54% |
| Poetry | 38% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Seasons
- Nonreligious Celebrations
- Myths & Fables
- Authors
- Susan Cooper
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press
- Published
- October 22, 2019
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Winter solstice · Traditions across generations · Light and renewal
- Reading lane
- Seasons