Penguin Random House Books|4 Years < The Shortest Day – Hardcover

A seasonal treasure and staple for heralding the winter solstice, The Shortest Day, is a beautifully illustrated picture book based on Newbery Medalist Susan Cooper’s beloved poem.

Richly illustratedby Caldecott Honoree Carson Ellis, this beautiful book evokes the joy and festivity of celebrating light and a time of rebirth.

“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. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again.”

Written for a theatrical production, Susan Cooper’s poem 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.