Solstice: Around the World on the Longest, Shortest Day

Explore the daily lives of children around the world through through the lens of a single, special day in June, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern hemisphere.

The rising and setting of the Sun is one of the few truly common experiences in our diverse world. This book places that shared experience at the heart of its global story.

Every year, during the June solstice, the Earth tilts towards the Sun, creating either the longest or shortest day of the year. Across the world, people celebrate this day in different ways, from bonfires and banquets to firework festivals and ancient rituals. In this book, you will celebrate the solstice alongside 14 fictional characters from 14 real places around the world. You will be transported to Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal, Morocco, China, Turkey, America, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Each account is both a personal story and an informative narrative, full of cultural insight, geographical information, and words from each native language. Meanwhile, specially commissioned artwork, by illustrators from each place, bring familiarity and warmth to every page.

The solstice is both a symbol of global unity and a celebration of cultural diversity. Here, this unique event takes center stage in a fascinating account of children's lives around the world.

Glossary and index included.

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.