Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox
Read
These picture books are great family readalouds for the winter solstice.
• The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice (Wendy Pfeffer) introduces
the science, history, and cultural traditions
surrounding the winter solstice. This book
also includes projects and recipes to try at
home.
• The intricate illustrations of “The Secret
Staircase” (Jill Barklem) give life to this
sweet midwinter celebration tale. The story
can be found in the collection The Complete Brambly Hedge, which also includes a
tale for each of the four seasons.
• The Tomten (Astrid Lingren), The Christmas Magic (Lauren Thompson), and Hanna’s Cold Winter (Trish Marx) bring our
attention to the magic of winter’s light and
darkness, cold and cozy warmth.
• Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Eric
Kimmel), Celebrate Hanukkah (Deborah
Heiligman), Lucia Morning in Sweden
(Ewa Rydåker), Celebrate Christmas
(Deborah Heiligman), Too Many Tamales
(Gary Soto), and many other excellent picture books explore various cultures’ winter
traditions.
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