Winter Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Beaming Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). On the shortest day of the year, a group gathers on a beach to watch the sunset and build a bonfire. In the darkness, people long for light and the connection to each other. “Around the globe, other hands reach out, holding hope, holding space, holding one another” is accompanied by people in three different countries reaching out to pass a light from one place to the next. At the same time as the shortest day, in other places on Earth it is the longest day. And on the winter solstice, we know that soon the days will start getting longer and daylight will return. Includes information about both the winter and summer solstices and the winter solstice celebrations that are pictured in the book.
Both the poetic text and the illustrations provide a luminous introduction to the winter solstice, with a nod to the summer one and what causes both solstices. There are lots of celebrations pictured, and readers may want to think about how they want to observe the shortest day and wishes that they may want to make. This would be a nice December book to pair with Hanukkah Upside Down, which shows kids celebrating Hanukkah in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy (Feiwel and Friends, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Aviva and Holly take turns narrating the story of how an unexpected meeting at a holiday pageant audition leads to the discovery that they are identical twins separated at birth. While Aviva is getting ready for Hanukkah with her parents, brothers, and bubbe, Holly and her single mom and grandfather are preparing for Christmas. When they decide to do a Parent Trap-style switch, each learns about the other one’s family, personality, and holiday. They’re able to hold off on a grand reveal to their families until they bring down the house with an original song and the pageant. Although they don’t get all the answers about their birth and separation, it’s clear that the two families will be connected going forward, especially since there seems to be a budding romance between the grandparents.
This feel-good book has some serious Hallmark vibes and is sure to be a best-seller that will undoubtedly be unwrapped by many tweens by the light of the Christmas tree or Hanukkah menorah. While a little suspension of disbelief may be needed (the girls figure out they’re twins that were separated at birth in about five minutes–and are immediately fine with it), there are enough hilarious hijinks, cozy winter scenes, and touching family interactions to satisfy readers.