The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper (illustrated by Carson Ellis), HC PB $23.99

Penelope, although extremely verbal, is perhaps not quite able to understand the complex rules of picking her book of the year. And certainly, by virtue of sheer numbers of times I have been forced to reread something (“read again, Mama, again”), she would select the board book edition of Press Here by Herve Tullet. But if we had to pick a new book, certainly The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper would be it. I have always felt that the shortest day of the year was the most hopeful, as it’s all uphill from there, daylight wise. Now there is a beautifully illustrated poem with the same message.

(Penelope is 2.5 years old.)