We Celebrate the Light

“When the days get shorter/ and the night sneaks in early,” write mother-daughter collaborators Yolen and Semple, “we celebrate the light.” The creators pay tribute to seven luminous holidays: Diwali, winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Lunar New Year. Chen’s velvety digital images allow each observance to shine across two spreads, visiting a variety of domestic settings, as well as, for solstice, a meadow lit up with a campfire and twinkle lights. Brief, lyrical lines, meanwhile, link holidays through common threads of close bonds, heritage, acknowledgement of a higher power, and a shared continuum of existence that encompasses “the good, the bad, the losses, the gains... and the hopeful days to come.” Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)