The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice

by Wendy Pfeffer, Linda Bleck (Illustrator)

Overview

In this fourth and final book in the series about seasons, Wendy Pfeffer turns her attention to summer, when butterflies emerge from silky cocoons and daylight hours stretch longer and longer. With lyrical prose and vibrant illustrations, The Longest Day takes us on a journey through the history and science behind the summer solstice, with a focus on summer celebrations from various cultures around the world. Teachers and students alike will treasure the varied and accessible knowledge, and activities in the back let everyone in on the festivities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101643518
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/13/2010
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	70 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Wendy Pfeffer lives in Pennington, New Jersey, with her husband, Tom.

Linda Bleck has been illustrating for twenty years. She lives in Mequon, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for The Longest Day:

“The text introduces both tradition and some science… Thirteen celebrations of the sun are included with basic information—just enough to interest young children.”
—School Library Journal
 
“A comfortable, multidimensional investigation of the Summer Solstice that transcends time and place.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Pfeffer draws readers' attention to the science and history of the seasonal change. After a succinct explanation of how the earth's position shift causes longer days, she provides a wealth of intriguing information about sun celebrations throughout time, in a variety of places…. Recommended for classroom or library collections.”
—Children's Literature

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Longest Day:

“The text introduces both tradition and some science… Thirteen celebrations of the sun are included with basic information—just enough to interest young children.”
—School Library Journal
 
“A comfortable, multidimensional investigation of the Summer Solstice that transcends time and place.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Pfeffer draws readers' attention to the science and history of the seasonal change. After a succinct explanation of how the earth's position shift causes longer days, she provides a wealth of intriguing information about sun celebrations throughout time, in a variety of places…. Recommended for classroom or library collections.”
—Children's Literature

From the Publisher

The open, bright spreads will appeal to younger kids, while independent readers can move on to the suggested resources.

Booklist

In this fourth of a series (A New Beginning, 2008, etc.), science, myth and custom merge into a celebratory introduction to the Summer Solstice. As summer approaches, bison shed winter coats, mountain goats move to summer pastures and butterflies emerge from cocoons. Simultaneously, people move outdoors to picnic and play in the growing sunlight. Pfeffer transitions from familiar summer activities into scientific concepts about the earth's orbital position on or about June 21, which produces the longest day. She segues into myths of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Greek sun gods and introduces ancient monuments erected to the solstice, such as the Chumash Indian House of the Sun, Stonehenge, New Hampshire's Mystery Hill and the Plains Indian Bighorn Medicine Wheel. From myths and monuments, the author moves to celebrations: Lithuanian fire wheels, Germanic bonfires, Bohemian flower wreaths, Swedish midsummer poles and Alaskan "Polar Bear" swims, ending with lawn sprinklers and beach sand. Bleck's sprightly, colorful illustrations offer a visual celebration as they faithfully track the text. A comfortable, multidimensional investigation of the Summer Solstice that transcends time and place. (facts, activities) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews