As an agency, Bridgetown Baby is deeply committed to confronting bias within ourselves, building our skills, and creating an inclusive model of care that authentically serves our clients and contributes to culture change. This is work we all can do. It starts with us; it continues with our children - and we are their most important teachers. Each month, we'll be sharing resources for broadening perspectives, talking with kids about bias, celebrating diversity, and actions our families can take to create a world we all can live in.

In cultures around the world, settling in to the darker, wetter months of the winter involves rituals and practices that bring light into homes and lives.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice offers gentle narrative about solstice celebrations across ages and geography, while its many sunny, yellow-infused illustrations literally bring light into dark afternoon or quiet evening story times.

Older children might enjoy finding parallels (or contrasts) to their own families’ celebrations, and while the longer-form storytelling may be a bit much for younger readers, a page or two of narrative may be just right when interspersed with some breaks to point out the colors and creatures included in the pages. For families who celebrate the solstice, this is a lovely companion volume, and for any family, it’s an opportunity to appreciate cultural practices across time.

Find The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice at your local library, or purchase at your local independent book shop or online at Powell’s.com.