Winter: A solstice story by Kelsey E. Gross, illustrated by Renata Liwska

This debut picture book is a good option for those in the northern hemisphere looking for non-Christmas winter books for storytime.

An owl, speckled with soft browns and whites, invites all the little woodland creatures to prepare for the winter solstice, helping to "shine the light." Each one brings something different to decorate a tree, from nuts to berries, feathers to grasses. The pages fold out to show a pine tree crusted with snow, decorated with treats, and topped with the owl, wings outspread, against the softly glowing moon. As the animals celebrate around the tree, they are joined by a bear carrying a lantern and their initial fear is quickly soothed as the owl welcomes the furry creature to their circle.

Liwska's art, with pastel tones and gentle, furry outlines, is a nice match for this debut author's simple story. There's no nonfiction or realistic aspect to this book, just anthropomorphic animals celebrating the arrival of winter together. The text is a little awkward, with somewhat clonky rhymes "Let every creature see our tree!/It's splendor is a gift of light/and hope for all/this winter's night." but it's no better or worse than any other holiday book and it definitely fills a niche for seasonal titles.

Verdict: My personal preference is for nonfiction or informational titles when looking for seasonal themes, but this will find a ready audience among parents, teachers, and librarians looking for books with a holiday feel to them but no overt religious symbolism. Of course, you can't please everybody, and someone is sure to say solstice is a "pagan" holiday or the tree is really a "Christmas" tree, but it's about as neutral as you're going to get. Liwska's illustrations are adorable and this is a strong addition to any library's holiday or seasonal collection. A companion summer solstice book is scheduled to be released this coming summer.

ISBN: 9781665908139; Published October 2023 by Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library.