Seb and the Sun

In this gently mysterious companion to Mae and the Moon, Gigot introduces Seb, a child in a village “so far north that the sun did not shine in winter and the days were cold, dreary, and dark as night.” Gigot’s story quickly takes a fantastical turn. Seb—who wears Viking-style horns—and his beachcombing companion, a walrus, go in search of the sun. They first consult town residents for supplies: miners for rope, an elderly lady for yarn, Old Bruce Brewster for fishing line, and Mr. and Mrs. Muktuk for a bucket. In dreamlike sequences rendered in stormy blues and grays accented by the Northern Lights, the pair rows a boat into the bay. They toss out their bucket, which eventually fills with a dusty, golden light. Back home, they pour the light into bottles and share the lanternlike results with the people of the village. Gigot integrates Native American coastal art motifs, suggesting that this evocative and visually sumptuous story is set in Northern Canada or Alaska. Ages 4–7. Agent: Wendi Gu, Janklow & Nesbit. (Mar.)