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Description
A celebration of the winter solstice and the Yuletide season. 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. 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!… (more)
User reviews
Somehow, although a lifelong admirer of Cooper's - her Dark Is Rising Sequence was one of the reading joys of my adolescence - I never knew about this poem. I suppose that is because I never attended the Revels - something I now hope to do! Whatever the case may be, I am so glad to have read it now, as its brief text is beautiful and immensely powerful, evoking a sense of the past, and of our connection to the many generations that came before us. I got chills when I read the lines "Through all the frosty ages you can here them / Echoing, behind us - listen!" Just amazing! The accompanying artwork from Carson Ellis, who was awarded a Caldecott Honor for her Du Iz Tak, is just lovely as well. Highly recommended, to fans of Cooper and/or Ellis, and to anyone seeking picture-books about the Winter Solstice.