#508 of 1001 · December 21, 2021

Today marks the winter solstice, the day when the northern hemisphere receives the least sunlight out of the year. Behind us the dim, before us the bright. Winter is truly upon the land. In observance of this pivotal moment, let me present The Shirtest Day, a poem written by Susan Cooler illustrated by @carsonellis. The flowing verse charts the evolution of the Yuletide holiday from prehistoric time to the present day. Cooper’s language evokes an ancient hymn, a chanted rune in loose iambic meter. Ellis interprets the tradition with vivid animistic symbolism—the sun is a radiant colossus who strides across the landscape, tires, and sinks below the horizon, only to be reborn in modernity at the book’s joyous finish. I wish you warmth and light in the darkness of winter. A word about the text: Cooper originally wrote her poem to be performed at the Christmas Revels, an ongoing performance series incorporating folk song, dance, and theatrics. #winter #solstice #night #day #dark #light #sun #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks