The Shortest Day -- Susan Cooper - Hardcover

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. 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

Author: Susan Cooper
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 10/22/2019
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.10h x 10.40w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780763686987
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/15/2019
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2019 pg. 137
School Library Journal 10/01/2019 pg. 57
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2019 pg. 28
Shelf Awareness 11/29/2019
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2019 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author
Susan Cooper wrote "The Shortest Day" for John Langstaff's Christmas Revels, where it is performed annually across the country. She is the author of the classic fantasy sequence The Dark Is Rising, which includes the Newbery Medal winner The Grey King, as well as many other books for children and adults. She lives on a salt-marsh island in Marshfield, Massachusetts.

Carson Ellis is the creator of the Caldecott Honor Book Du Iz Tak? and the New York Times bestseller Home. She is also the illustrator of The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket and Dillweed's Revenge: A Deadly Dose of Magic by Florence Parry Heide, and she collaborated with her husband, Colin Meloy, on the best-selling Wildwood series. Carson Ellis lives outside Portland, Oregon.