The Winter Solstice

by Ellen Jackson, Jan Davey Ellis (Illustrator)

Presents facts and folklore about the shortest day of the year, a day that has been filled with magic since ancient times.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, History, Science, Nonfiction, Holiday, Christmas

32 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking this might be a story, well it is a story of the winter solstice the world over, but it’s more a non-fiction piece on how different cultures around the earth use to think of the solstice. The Romans would trade places for a day and the servant would be attended by the master and the Romans gave gifts. Bonfires were built and feasts were had and people would watch for the return of the sun. Even Stonehenge was built so they knew when the light would return.

They do not talk about what Asian or African cultures did during this time. It’s a good book, but it’s more facts. There is a nice Cherokee legend at the end told as a story. The artwork is lovely and it is about one of my favorite times of year.

The nephew found this mildly interesting. He liked the animals in the story and some of the things people did like sacrifice animals and stand with antlered helmets interested him. The boars head feast grossed him out and he loved that too. He gave this 3 stars and said it could have been more exciting.

[Liander (The Towering Pile) Lavoie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review was posted on my book blog, The Towering Pile.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. What I was expecting was a nice book about celebrating the Winter Solstice. Something Pagan parents could read to their children around the holiday season.

Instead, this book describes a few "ancient" (a word which here means "still practiced today by many people") rituals and celebrations surrounding the Winter Solstice, while occasionally suggesting that these people were quite primitive. It then goes into a page about how we today do not believe such silliness because SCIENCE, which is all well and good because I love science, but then it's all "today the solstice has been replaced by Christmas and Hanukkah because apparently we're all Christian or Jewish".

Also, this book uses the phrase "people in the United States and Europe". There is no phrase I hate more than that phrase. What do the United States and Europe have in common that Canada doesn't? Or Australia or New Zealand? American authors, please stop using this phrase, forever. It is always used in contexts that suggest that these are the "Western people", and if you're going to do that and list countries, and least list them all.

Ahem, where was I?

So anyway, this book is not Pagan friendly. Nor is it supportive of cultural diversity, really. The one part of this book I liked was that at the end there's a little story that says it was adapted from a Cherokee tale of creation, and it describes how the evergreen trees got to be evergreen. It was a nice little story. If that story was the whole book this review would be a whole lot better. As it is, I found most of this book mildly offensive. And it's a kids' book. 1 star.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now I do not often write about the artwork of a given picture book before I consider the presented narrative, as for me, even with picture books, the written words do still come first and are therefore more important and significant than any visual images (unless of course, I am reviewing something wordless or nearly wordless). However, with Ellen Jackson's 1994 The Winter Solstice, I am indeed being different and am focussing on Jan Davey Ellis' illustrations prior to tackling what Jackson has written about the winter solstice. For yes and in my humble opinion, Davey Ellis' artwork has in fact been the only part of The Winter Solstice I have actually totally and unilaterally enjoyed, since truth be told Ellen Jackson's text for The Winter Solstice actually often kind of makes me want to scream with frustrated annoyance and that the only reason why my rating for The Winter Solstice is two stars and not one star is that I certainly do find Jan Davey Ellis' artwork very nicely visually appealing and providing an aesthetically pleasant depiction of winter solstice traditions both today and in the past (and I guess I also kind of have enjoyed Ellen Jackson including a Cherokee Solstice story in The Winter Solstice but that tale is really the ONLY part of Jackson's penmanship for The Winter Solstice I have found textual pleasure in and could accept without major, without huge reservations).

And my issues with how Ellen Jackson verbally presents her information in The Winter Solstice are twofold (although I am also rather annoyed that there is no list with book titles for further reading provided in The Winter Solstice, although I am actually getting to the point of not really expecting bibliographical materials, even though the lack thereof for The Winter Solstice does frustrate me rather a lot).

For one, when Jackson writes and tries to explain in The Winter Solstice about how in the past, people supposedly were mostly just superstitious, massively frightened of winter, of the days getting shorter, of the sun rising later and setting earlier, that they were lacking basic common sense and thus created winter solstice traditions not really for celebratory reasons and purposes but mainly due to fear and unenlightenment, sorry, but her, but Jackson's narrational tone, it for me and in my humble opinion feels and reads denigratingly and with a very much holier than thou and offensively patronising voice (and making me personally feel majorly uncomfortable but also academically, intellectually offended, since for example with stone henge and other such similar prehistoric monuments, Ellen Jackson does not ever textually show how scientifically advanced regarding astronomical observations and making calendars the druids, the ancient Babylonians, Peruvians etc. in fact were but instead wanting us with The Winter Solstice to obviously believe that before the 20th century, that before modern times, superstition and only superstition and primitiveness reigned ignorantly supreme, and to say that this attitude is annoying for me is a huge understatement and also makes me realise that The Winter Solstice is obviously NOT meant to be for those people who actually celebrate the winter solstice and believe in these traditions).

And for two, and probably even more of a textual turn off for me, why does Jackson when she describes modern times specify in The Winter Solstice that in the USA and in Europe, we do no longer believe that the sun disappears etc. and must be found at the beginning of winter, that in the modern USA and in modern Europe, science reigns supreme. I mean, what about Canada, Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand? Do these countries and continents not count, or does Ellen Jackson with regard to Canada perhaps believe that Canada is just another US state and that Australia and New Zealand are just offshoots of the United Kingdom? So honestly and sadly, in particular how Jackson has penned The Winter Solstice has been incredibly textually grating for me, and that yes, if I did not (and as mentioned above) find Jan Davey Ellis' illustrations pleasant and aesthetically appealing, my rating for The Winter Solstice would only be one star (and that my two star rating is actually really really generous on my part).

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather condescending to ancient cultures, and an assumption that the reader is Christian. I preferred The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer.

[Moe · Rating 1 out of 5]

My mom forced me to read this while I wanted to play my new Kazoo. If my mom wants me to read books, she better assign them at a good time, when I'm not preoccupied. Like when I say, "I'm bored, I'm bored!" not when there's a new kazoo in the room. Sometimes there are better things to do than to learn about the sun rising or not rising. By the way, I lost my kazoo, but my mom has a book that teaches me how to make a new one.

[Anna Nesterovich · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was one of the only two children's books about the winter solstice in our library, and both of them fell short of my expectations.
The authors of both books got their audience completely messed up. I'm not even sure who the target audience was. The cover and illustrations look like they were made with toddlers in mind, I can't see anyone older than 5 be comfortable with the design. The text, on the other hand, is clearly for someone a bit older, not so much because of the difficult words (and there are lots of difficult words there), but because it's boring, unable to capture the kid's attention.
This book is actually much better that the other one The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice, because it has a Cherokee story at the end, which is a test least an actual story that can be enjoyed and appreciated by kids.

[AnandaTashie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the bulk of this book to be a little cluttered / disorganized in its writing. But then, the book redeemed itself by including a solstice story that was adapted from a Cherokee tale of creation, a sweet tale about why some trees stay green all year. I read that part to my kids on the solstice and we all enjoyed it.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories about different rituals from long ago. We already talk a lot about what is myth vs reality so it wasn't a problem to read this out loud with my 6 yr old.

[Jen Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my 4th grade students as a humanities connection to our science unit on sky patterns. The winter solstice is viewed from various cultural perspectives and a brief explanation of the science behind "the reason for the season" is given.

[Starbubbles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for this one to be better. It was basically downhill from the Romans on. (Sadly, that was early on.) There were a few traditions from North America, South America, and Europe in here. There was also an almost accurate scientific explanation as to why solstices occur. I think I would have used a top or dreidel instead of an orange. The Earth tilting on its axis is why we have solstices, and oranges with toothpicks just do not demonstrate that correctly. At best, this demonstrates how the Earth's rotation contributes to day and night. I love folklore and mythology, and there just was not enough of it in here to be really good. The tone was that of people a long time ago believed this, and wasn't that cute.

Long story short, there might be another book out there that might help in gaining a better understanding as to why the winter solstice was so important to so many different cultures throughout the millennia.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was much more than I was expecting! It was sort of a juvenile nonfiction compendium (meaning, in less than 20 pages) about how the winter solstice was celebrated or acknowledged in other times & cultures, followed by a page on some basic earth science that really helped to clarify for the person I was reading to how the seasons happen. (Albeit, that person was not a child but an adult with a not-so-great grasp on earth science.) Definitely a good seasonal read!

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all what I was hoping for - the text is far too advanced for what the illustrations let me think the book was about. And it's just a collection of traditions that talks about how "ancient" people were afraid of the darkness, and that's why we have Christmas.
There's a decent way to explain the seasons included, and a legend about evergreen trees, but I'm not sure I'll be able to use the book in storytime.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! My daughter is 3 and she liked it too. The story was a little over her head, but the GREAT pictures were enough to keep her interested. I got this at the library and will get it again next year. I think Willow will enjoy it more then! Teaches several Pagan religion's customs during Winter Solstice.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations enhance this nonfiction survey of the solstice traditions and beliefs of different cultures. Very well done. One folk tale included at the end to explain why some trees stay green in the winter. I especially appreciated this while doing a folk tale unit with my some of my students.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my kids, and they were pretty bored by it. I personally wished it had been more fleshed out, explaining that many people still celebrate the solstice. I also wish it had expounded on the traditions that were taken from solstice celebrations and are used during Christmas and Hanukkah. There is a little mention of that, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.

[Emelda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, simple & interesting book. Great way to get kids to look beyond Christmas. One small thing that annoys me: there's a line that says, "Priests dressed as animals or birds..." Birds ARE animals. Blah.

[Cara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn't read this to my children. Instead, choose "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting medley of different Winter Solstice traditions worldwide.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative book about how different people (mainly European) have celebrated the solstice over time.

[Janine Mider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love to read this book every year. It reminds me where all our traditions originated from.

[A Allen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Toward the beginning of the book, Jackson says that the winter solstice in the first day of winter. She goes on to tell the audience that humans were sacrificed at the solstice in some places; it is my understanding that scholars debate if the human sacrifice idea was just fear-mongering by Christian missionaries. The information about how people in different parts of the world celebrated the solstice was interesting. "The ancient Romans held a special celebration at the time of the winter solstice. This was a week-long feast during which people changed places. Masters waited on their servants. Even criminals were treated with honor and respect." Jackson calls the indigenous people of Peru and British Columbia "Indians" which feels dated to me. I would love to see an updated version of this book, as Jackson's information is 30 years old; I imagine there is more accurate information available now. The book suggests an activity involving toothpicks and an orange to help readers understand seasons. Then, there is a story "adapted from a Cherokee tale of creation" for the last three pages.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years I taught in the elementary grades and collected science based books for use in the classroom. I liked The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson because it explained how the winter solstice made the days shorter and gave a simple science experiment to demonstrate with toothpicks, an orange and a flashlight.

Another great part of the book was to explain how various peoples of the past celebrated the winter solstice with rituals, customs and celebrations. It also had an American Indian story about why some trees loose their leaves and the others, like pine trees keep green all through winter. Lots to learn about past cultures in this love book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved all of the cultural stories and beliefs about what the winter solstice meant to different people. We read this together as a family and talked about how interesting it was for people to be scared of the winter and attribute it to "bad spirits" and how they would create their own makeshift clocks for when the sun would return and the plants can produce vegetation. Learned something new in this book!

[Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the variety of information, both historical, modern, and scientific. However, some of the language is rather dated, and it may have some information in it that has since been updated/corrected/redacted.

[LizthePrude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ways different cultures mark the time of winter solstice. Interesting children's book.

[Shay Vande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustration of Winter Solstice celebrations and history across different cultures.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating information!

[Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated telling of the history of Winter Solstice and the way many different cultures observe it all over the world and throughout time.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, informative Winter Solstice introduction for elementary age children.....and for adults, too!! Lovely illustrations as well.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt a little disjointed at times. Several different stories from different cultures made it hard to connect to the overall narrative.