Overview

Explore the daily lives of children around the world through the solstice--the longest day and night of the year. Just two times each year - at an event called the solstice - Earth leans closest to our home star, the Sun. Since ancient times, people have used the Sun as a timekeeper. They knew that the length of daylight changes in a regular way, and celebrated the solstice as a signal of changing seasons. Solstice imparts scientific and cultural information using the global experience of a solstice as its scientific core, and the descriptions of children's lives at each latitude as the cultural narrative. It is a browsable nonfiction appealing to informationally minded thinkers aged 7-11. Enhancing the text and illustrations are fascinating infographics about geography, hours of sunlight, sunrise and sunset times, and how the Earth's tilt creates solstices and seasons. A global event needs a global perspective: non-traditional families, interesting facts that crop up in each account (e.g. in the Chinese entry we learn that pandas need to play or else they get sad). Plus, illustrators for each location represent their home countries with authority and beauty.

Full Product Details

9781913750787

Table of Contents

Reviews

This cleverly designed book uses a black cat as the centerpiece of where one is in relation to the world at large ... Locating the black cat amid the rainbow-colored pictures is half the fun ... The format, of no more than one question or sentence to a spread, allows for quick, effective reading and thinking. Characters shown are of varying ages and skin tones ... VERDICT For an age-appropriate lesson for educators and parents who want to provide children with perspective about their place in the world, this book is close to ideal. - Tracy Cronce, School Library Journal

"""What causes this particular item to stand out for me is the choice the editor made to illustrate the title with fourteen different artists ... It's an infographic nonfiction title, so hand this one to your more expository readers."" - Betsy Bird, School Library Journal"

"""What causes this particular item to stand out for me is the choice the editor made to illustrate the title with fourteen different artists ... So essentially you're getting science and history and cultural significance all at once."" - Betsy Bird, School Library Journal ""What is so incredibly cool about this book is that this book goes around the world with how different parts of the country view and celebrate the Solstice."" - Liam, aged 12, in Kids Book Buzz"

Author Information

Jen Breach is a children's author of fiction and non-fiction. Their writing credits include a graphic literature adventure about a young archeologist and their robot brother (Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race, Scholastic 2018), and a picture book about two clueless zookeepers (Something's Amiss At The Zoo, Hachette 2016). They hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. They are a mentor for Girls Write Now and The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). Jen identifies as queer and non-binary.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available