The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice
Grade 1–4—From the traditions of the Chumash Indians of California, to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel of Wyoming and the Polar Bear Swim of Nome, Alaska, this book introduces the celebrations and traditions surrounding the longest day of the year. It tells about the observance of Midsummer's long hours of sunlight, noted in folktales and mythology from ancient times to the present. Colorful cartoon figures in watercolor-washed spreads celebrate in locations from Europe to North America, and a diagram of the shaded positions of the Earth in relation to the Sun gives readers a view of seasonal changes. The text introduces both tradition and some science. A companion to Pfeffer'sThe Shortest Day(2003),We Gather Together(2006), andA New Beginning(2008, all Dutton), the book concludes with "solstice facts" and crafts. Thirteen celebrations of the sun are included with basic information—just enough to interest young children.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.