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Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World
The soft glow of a candle, the blink of a firefly, a burst of fireworks--light is everywhere in our world! Rhyming text and illustrations follow four children as they experience many different forms of light.
32 pages, ebook
First published March 3, 2020
3 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Sue Fliess
68 books147 followersSue Fliess ("fleece") is the bestselling author of Robots, Robots Everywhere!, I'm a Ballerina! and How to Trap a Leprechaun, and more than 35 other children's books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins, Mary Had a Little Lab, Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies, and many Little Golden Books. Her books have sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. Her background is in copywriting and PR/marketing, and her essays have appeared in O Magazine, HuffPo, Writer's Digest, and more. Fliess has also written for Walt Disney.
Her books have received honors from the SCBWI, have been used in school curricula, museum educational programs, and have even been translated into multiple languages. The Bug Book was chosen for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library three years in a row and The Hug Book was selected to the Imagination Library Australia.
She's a member of SCBWI, Children's Book Guild of DC, and the Author's Guild. She does book signings, school visits, and speaking engagements.
When she's not writing, she is walking her two silly English Labradors or busy with her two teen boys. She really misses traveling. Sue lives in Northern VA with her family. Visit her at www.suefliess.com.
Her books have received honors from the SCBWI, have been used in school curricula, museum educational programs, and have even been translated into multiple languages. The Bug Book was chosen for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library three years in a row and The Hug Book was selected to the Imagination Library Australia.
She's a member of SCBWI, Children's Book Guild of DC, and the Author's Guild. She does book signings, school visits, and speaking engagements.
When she's not writing, she is walking her two silly English Labradors or busy with her two teen boys. She really misses traveling. Sue lives in Northern VA with her family. Visit her at www.suefliess.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 2, 2019
Flash and Gleam focuses on the many types of light that light up our world. From the sun to lightning, auroras to fireworks, each kind of light is luminously illustrated. A very simple rhyming text accompanies the pictures.
I really enjoyed the illustrations here. They're absolutely lovely. However, I think the description on the inside jacket of the book does it a disservice, since it isn't entirely accurate. This book is supposed to follow "a diverse group of kids", but they're only "diverse" in a cultural sense. All four able-bodied children are in heterosexual nuclear family units. Today, I think many readers are expecting a little more diversity in other areas, especially when a book advertises itself as "diverse".
There are a couple of pages of scientific facts at the end, which are interesting to read and tie into the various forms of light that are depicted in the illustrations in the main part of the book. My only quibble there is that the book refers to "the dark side" of the moon as the part that's in shadow during a quarter moon (whereas "the dark side" is usually how we refer to the part that's facing away from Earth that we can't see). This could potentially cause some confusion; it might need to be worded differently.
Definitely check this one out for the illustrations, though. I'd like to see what else Khoa Le has illustrated; she has a very pleasant style.
Thank you to NetGalley and Millbrook Press for providing a digital ARC.
I really enjoyed the illustrations here. They're absolutely lovely. However, I think the description on the inside jacket of the book does it a disservice, since it isn't entirely accurate. This book is supposed to follow "a diverse group of kids", but they're only "diverse" in a cultural sense. All four able-bodied children are in heterosexual nuclear family units. Today, I think many readers are expecting a little more diversity in other areas, especially when a book advertises itself as "diverse".
There are a couple of pages of scientific facts at the end, which are interesting to read and tie into the various forms of light that are depicted in the illustrations in the main part of the book. My only quibble there is that the book refers to "the dark side" of the moon as the part that's in shadow during a quarter moon (whereas "the dark side" is usually how we refer to the part that's facing away from Earth that we can't see). This could potentially cause some confusion; it might need to be worded differently.
Definitely check this one out for the illustrations, though. I'd like to see what else Khoa Le has illustrated; she has a very pleasant style.
Thank you to NetGalley and Millbrook Press for providing a digital ARC.
April 27, 2021
Children experience and interact with all kinds of light in this rhyming picture-book, from the beauty of the sunset to the enchantment of the Aurora Borealis, the flickering flame of a birthday candle to the exploding wonder of fireworks. The importance of light to various cultural and religious celebrations - Yi Peng, Holi, Hanukkah, Christmas - is also touched upon. The book concludes with a two-page discussion of the science of light, and more information about its role in some of the cultural traditions mentioned...
Pairing a simple text - just a few words on each two-page spread - from American author Sue Fliess with gorgeous artwork from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le, Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World is a picture-book that would be suitable for very young children. The front dust-jacket flap recommends it for ages five through eight, but I think this is a bit of a stretch. The afterword would certainly be suitable for an audience in this age range, but the main narrative strikes me as being too basic for children at this level. I'm a great admirer of Khao Le's artwork - indeed, I tracked this one down largely because of the illustrations - and I was not disappointed on that score, but I think the book suffers from some confusion, when it comes to its target audience. Leaving that aside, I do recommend it, both to fellow fans of Khoa Le, and to those seeking lovely, peaceful books for their toddlers' bedtime.
Pairing a simple text - just a few words on each two-page spread - from American author Sue Fliess with gorgeous artwork from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le, Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World is a picture-book that would be suitable for very young children. The front dust-jacket flap recommends it for ages five through eight, but I think this is a bit of a stretch. The afterword would certainly be suitable for an audience in this age range, but the main narrative strikes me as being too basic for children at this level. I'm a great admirer of Khao Le's artwork - indeed, I tracked this one down largely because of the illustrations - and I was not disappointed on that score, but I think the book suffers from some confusion, when it comes to its target audience. Leaving that aside, I do recommend it, both to fellow fans of Khoa Le, and to those seeking lovely, peaceful books for their toddlers' bedtime.
November 5, 2019
The art in this book is stunning, and worth getting the book for that alone -- but only for a young child. This book really needs to figure out its audience, as it's written like a board book for toddlers but it's about the science of light (it's recommended for grades K-2).
The illustrations show various children around the world and things that light up -- from the sun to rainbows to candles. The text is very sparse. For example, one page has the text of "Blast/Beam/Let us dream" with a picture of an astronaut in space and the sun behind her, while the next page shows two different boys looking at sunsets and the text: "Fade/Away/Cannot Stay."
This would make a lovely bedtime book for very young children and gently expose them to ideas of light sources, but then at the end there is very sophisticated text explaining the science of light and then information about cultural celebrations involving light in various religions and locations. I read this book to my 8 year-old daughter and the book was too young for her until the end, at which point it was too old (and dry) for her.
(As a side note, can we stop romanticizing sky lanterns? Yes, they are a tradition in some cultures and they are beautiful, but they are basically flaming litter that's sent into the sky. Sky lanterns burn down houses and start wildfires when they land on unfortunate families' rooftops or in dried grasses, kill and maim countless birds and animals, and all ultimately come down as trash. They are the flammable version of helium balloons, and I wish people would stop glamorizing them as they're gaining in popularity despite warnings from environmentalists and animal welfare organizations.)
All in all, this is a beautiful book with a lovely, peaceful feel to it, but I would suggest it's best suited for young children with adults reading the end notes for themselves.
Fiona rated it "nice" and then said it was fine if I deleted my ARC of it, even though she often wants to hold onto books longer and read them more before they expire. I think she would have liked it a lot when she was 2 or 3, because of the gorgeous pictures and sparse, singsong text.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
The illustrations show various children around the world and things that light up -- from the sun to rainbows to candles. The text is very sparse. For example, one page has the text of "Blast/Beam/Let us dream" with a picture of an astronaut in space and the sun behind her, while the next page shows two different boys looking at sunsets and the text: "Fade/Away/Cannot Stay."
This would make a lovely bedtime book for very young children and gently expose them to ideas of light sources, but then at the end there is very sophisticated text explaining the science of light and then information about cultural celebrations involving light in various religions and locations. I read this book to my 8 year-old daughter and the book was too young for her until the end, at which point it was too old (and dry) for her.
(As a side note, can we stop romanticizing sky lanterns? Yes, they are a tradition in some cultures and they are beautiful, but they are basically flaming litter that's sent into the sky. Sky lanterns burn down houses and start wildfires when they land on unfortunate families' rooftops or in dried grasses, kill and maim countless birds and animals, and all ultimately come down as trash. They are the flammable version of helium balloons, and I wish people would stop glamorizing them as they're gaining in popularity despite warnings from environmentalists and animal welfare organizations.)
All in all, this is a beautiful book with a lovely, peaceful feel to it, but I would suggest it's best suited for young children with adults reading the end notes for themselves.
Fiona rated it "nice" and then said it was fine if I deleted my ARC of it, even though she often wants to hold onto books longer and read them more before they expire. I think she would have liked it a lot when she was 2 or 3, because of the gorgeous pictures and sparse, singsong text.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
December 28, 2019
What a beautiful children's book! The illustrations are breath-taking , with beautiful short prose poetry to shine the beauty with the light sources pictured. exquisitely. For all ages, because I sure did enjoy every page. It forces you to look at each page with an artist's eye as to texture, color and subject. Loved it!
January 25, 2020
A cute book for small children about the different forms of light.
The illustrations are simply beautiful. I loved looking at the pictures and the artwork is the best feature of this small book.
Content wise, the book didn’t offer much, unfortunately. Every page contains a few words that rhyme and describe the light. The pages are not very informative but it would be easy to talk to your kid(s) a bit more about everything you see on each page.
There are two pages with information about light for the parents or older kids at the end of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Millbrook for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The illustrations are simply beautiful. I loved looking at the pictures and the artwork is the best feature of this small book.
Content wise, the book didn’t offer much, unfortunately. Every page contains a few words that rhyme and describe the light. The pages are not very informative but it would be easy to talk to your kid(s) a bit more about everything you see on each page.
There are two pages with information about light for the parents or older kids at the end of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Millbrook for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2020
This is a poetically written non-fiction book about light in our world and it discusses both "natural" lights (sunlight, auroras, lightning, moon and stars...) along with lights used by humans in celebrations (birthday candles, fireworks, Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas...) Though the main text is very sparse - basically just a few words describing the illustration - there is back matter at the end of the book describing each type of "light" that the book covers. I loved the illustrations in this book - very beautiful!
March 22, 2020
Sparse, poetic text ("Bolt/Flash/Thunder crash") paired with gorgeous, luminous illustrations take readers on a journey of light, from candles, to weather phenomenon, to fireworks. Various holidays are included, such as Diwali, Hannukah, and Christmas. I love the diversity of families and the overall flow of the story, from morning to night. Sure to "spark" some interesting conversations.
April 9, 2020
Flash and Gleam is a celebration of all the light we encounter in our world. Whether it is natural light (sunlight, rainbows) or created (candles, fireworks), people interact with light in many ways every day. Sparse, poetic text paired with rich and colorful illustrations make this book shine.
May 6, 2020
The pictures are a delight! An exploration of all the ways light touches our lives--from when we wake up in the morning, to celebrations to different faiths, to fireflies. The text was sufficient, though not extraordinary: basically handfuls of punchy verbs to illustrate what's on each page.
November 16, 2020
A very, very simple introduction to the many different forms of light in our world, told in verse! The illustrations are beautiful and I loved the representation, as well as the additional facts about light in the back matter.
September 30, 2021
It’s not easy to find a great science read aloud for pre-K children. In addition to being beautiful and diverse, the illustrations and the text work together very well to explain the meaning of complicated concepts.
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March 17, 2021Gorgeous, but honestly I think it would hit even better if some of the science were woven in throughout rather than all backmatter.
December 7, 2019
What a beautiful, astounding book! With warm colors and a diverse cast, this non-fiction book about light and how we use it creates a sense of understanding through everyday and not-so-everyday experiences. Take for instance sunrise and sunset--both are natural, and occur everywhere. Take for instance a lantern festival, or a post-shooting shrine. Or even, take for instance, a candle or a nightlight. Light comes into our lives every day, and depending on where we're from or what culture we partake in, our light uses may vary.
The backmatter offers very useful information on light and how it's formed, as well as some quick definitions for some of the events and celebrations the reader will see illustrated in the pages.
I honestly wish all nonfiction books were like this, that they were all as loving and diverse and lovely as this one.
Review cross-listed here!
The backmatter offers very useful information on light and how it's formed, as well as some quick definitions for some of the events and celebrations the reader will see illustrated in the pages.
I honestly wish all nonfiction books were like this, that they were all as loving and diverse and lovely as this one.
Review cross-listed here!
July 15, 2020
FLASH AND GLEAM: LIGHT OUR WORLD is a beautiful multicultural celebration of light and life. With sparse, powerful text, gorgeous illustrations, and informative backmatter, this book is sure to light up bookshelves everywhere!
September 7, 2022
Light plays so many roles in our world, from riotous celebration to quiet reflection. The illustrations are thoughtful and lovely, and represent light in many situations and cultures.
December 9, 2023
I chose this informational picture book for a graduate school pick when we were focusing on poetry. It won the Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices in 2021 and the Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children in 2021. I read this book on the app Epic which is great because I know a lot of students have access to Epic through their school. This book centers around four children from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Although they aren’t together and we learn about each family individually, there are multiple pages throughout that show them experiencing something similar. For example, it shows different ways they celebrate in the winter or how they all watch fireworks on Fourth of July. The common theme throughout the book is ways that light is a part of all their lives. There is also back matter explaining the science of light and how light is incorporated in different celebrations. Fliess (who has several children’s books) wrote this one in a lyric or expressive poem style with stanzas of five/six syllables. The last word of the second and third line of each stanza rhyme. The illustrator Le (an award winning painter and picture book illustrator from Vietnam) uses lots of color to create vibrant pages, even on a screen. The pages are a variety of full spread, one-page spread, and some use four panels to show how the four lives are entwined. The pictures really give the reader a sense of place and atmosphere and highlight the importance of the light in each scenario.
This would be a great book for 1st-3rd graders since it covers poetry, energy and light, and the similarities and differences in different cultures. Although the Epic version is not one that is read to the students, the rhythm and rhyme make it so the reader can predict what word might be coming. The text also relies a lot on the illustrations to explain what is happening. Since each page is like a mini riddle, teachers could do a predicting activity where they just read the words first without showing the pictures to have the students predict what aspect of light is being shown on that page. For example, one page says, “Glimmer / Glow / Wish and blow.” When you see the picture you see it is about making a wish before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. There is also a page that shows one of the families using light to “help us heal” and depicts the family grieving. That would be a great page to focus on in SEL or if a student has experienced a loss. This would also be a great one for ESL students to practice the WIDA standards of Speaking and Listening by reciting this poem out loud.
This would be a great book for 1st-3rd graders since it covers poetry, energy and light, and the similarities and differences in different cultures. Although the Epic version is not one that is read to the students, the rhythm and rhyme make it so the reader can predict what word might be coming. The text also relies a lot on the illustrations to explain what is happening. Since each page is like a mini riddle, teachers could do a predicting activity where they just read the words first without showing the pictures to have the students predict what aspect of light is being shown on that page. For example, one page says, “Glimmer / Glow / Wish and blow.” When you see the picture you see it is about making a wish before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. There is also a page that shows one of the families using light to “help us heal” and depicts the family grieving. That would be a great page to focus on in SEL or if a student has experienced a loss. This would also be a great one for ESL students to practice the WIDA standards of Speaking and Listening by reciting this poem out loud.
February 25, 2020
My Thoughts
The illustrations glimmer and shine, and make this book glow while the minimal and simple rhyming text make the reading a sweet experience.
The book itself, with its sparse yet perfect for the book text and gorgeous artwork, will work very well for younger audiences (3 – 6 years), though everyone can definitely enjoy it! The information included in the back matter explaining scientific facts about light sources included in the book (fireflies, the rainbow, and more) as well as brief descriptions of the featured holidays is geared towards slightly older kids than the intended audience but will help to explore and understand more about the book.
The book offers opportunities on every page to learn more about the world and nature, and of course, light in its many forms, as it follows four children from different parts of the world using and looking at light in many ways (from Diwali lamps to the Menorah, from the campfire to the candle light, from the flow of the fireflies to the beauty of the northern lights, and more)!
In Conclusion
Khoa Le’s gorgeous poster-worthy illustrations (I know I won’t mind if the publisher decides to make prints available as posters) and the underlying messages of learning as well as cultural diversity make this a worthwhile addition to your young one’s library.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital review copy of the featured books. These thoughts are my honest opinions of the books.
The illustrations glimmer and shine, and make this book glow while the minimal and simple rhyming text make the reading a sweet experience.
The book itself, with its sparse yet perfect for the book text and gorgeous artwork, will work very well for younger audiences (3 – 6 years), though everyone can definitely enjoy it! The information included in the back matter explaining scientific facts about light sources included in the book (fireflies, the rainbow, and more) as well as brief descriptions of the featured holidays is geared towards slightly older kids than the intended audience but will help to explore and understand more about the book.
The book offers opportunities on every page to learn more about the world and nature, and of course, light in its many forms, as it follows four children from different parts of the world using and looking at light in many ways (from Diwali lamps to the Menorah, from the campfire to the candle light, from the flow of the fireflies to the beauty of the northern lights, and more)!
In Conclusion
Khoa Le’s gorgeous poster-worthy illustrations (I know I won’t mind if the publisher decides to make prints available as posters) and the underlying messages of learning as well as cultural diversity make this a worthwhile addition to your young one’s library.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital review copy of the featured books. These thoughts are my honest opinions of the books.
February 1, 2020
This is stunningly gorgeous book that became an instant family favorite! My kids are aging out of most books with simple, descriptive wording, but even my older two loved this one. The art is spectacular and the emotion it evokes captures attention even though there isn’t a particular plot or a lot of words.
I loved the broadness of this book’s look at light. Natural lights, man-made lights, daytime, nighttime, seasons, countries, and cultures are all touched on. It’s not a long read, but it’s the kind of picture book that my youngest two will sit on the couch with, pouring over the pictures. And like the best of simple kids’ books, they can pretty much “read” the words based on the illustrations.
We reread this book constantly, and I cannot wait to get it in print! This is definitely the sort of book I can see gifting a lot of copies of as well.
I loved the broadness of this book’s look at light. Natural lights, man-made lights, daytime, nighttime, seasons, countries, and cultures are all touched on. It’s not a long read, but it’s the kind of picture book that my youngest two will sit on the couch with, pouring over the pictures. And like the best of simple kids’ books, they can pretty much “read” the words based on the illustrations.
We reread this book constantly, and I cannot wait to get it in print! This is definitely the sort of book I can see gifting a lot of copies of as well.
April 25, 2023
Adore the concept for this book, the illustrations are simply gorgeous, but I was wanting just a little bit more from it. I wasn't expecting it to be targeted at readers quite so young. It was a wee bit repetitive with the examples used. I'd really love to see a slightly more advanced version of this book for older kids! That way the book could incorporate some of the things I missed in this version. I'd love to see things like the different types of light (UV, infrared) and the spectrum that the human eye can see. I'd also love some simple scientific explanations to go with the examples used for bioluminescence and rainbows etc. But considering the age range this book was obviously intended for, it was very well done!
Free temporary e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Free temporary e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2020
This book has absolutely incredible illustrations. The main text is a celebration of light, written in poetry. The back matter includes science about light and some of the cultural celebrations that surround it. I love light and the electromagnetic spectrum, so of course I had to read it.
I really liked this book. When I was reading the main text, I sometimes found myself wondering exactly what I was reading about. Tons of information were crammed into the back matter, but I found myself wanting more in some instances. I wonder if layered text might have helped out with some of this, but then it would have cluttered up the gorgeous illustrations.
This is a great book to get kids wondering (and learning) about the magic and science of light.
I really liked this book. When I was reading the main text, I sometimes found myself wondering exactly what I was reading about. Tons of information were crammed into the back matter, but I found myself wanting more in some instances. I wonder if layered text might have helped out with some of this, but then it would have cluttered up the gorgeous illustrations.
This is a great book to get kids wondering (and learning) about the magic and science of light.
September 7, 2022
Wow! The illustrations in this book are beautiful. I particularly loved the girl blowing out the candle and exploring space but really, all of the illustrations are beautiful.
I loved the simplicity of this book as it explored the different forms of light. Not only that but the book was full of diversity: people from different cultures, showcasing different lands, highlighting different celebrations focused around light, educating us on different natural forms of light, etc. What an amazing book.
At the very end there are additional materials to teach a little bit about the science of light as well as a section that talked about the five celebrations featured in this book: the Fourth of July, Yi Peng, Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas.
I loved the simplicity of this book as it explored the different forms of light. Not only that but the book was full of diversity: people from different cultures, showcasing different lands, highlighting different celebrations focused around light, educating us on different natural forms of light, etc. What an amazing book.
At the very end there are additional materials to teach a little bit about the science of light as well as a section that talked about the five celebrations featured in this book: the Fourth of July, Yi Peng, Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas.
October 29, 2024
my reaction to this book: I like it, the small ones are beautiful and hold a lot of meaning to me. The first two pages were Lights Rise, Open Eyes./Reach Low, and Nurture Grow. I feel that is very powerful.
The illustrations are beautiful and life-like. I could just look at this book all day it really captures great everyday images that we may miss. You can also see different traditions in different families.
I would use this book in any grade, really; students deserve to see different perspectives. I think everyone should look at this book at least once.
I would use this book in the classroom to help students learn poetry but also to help them make interpretations. I could also use this book to help students "see the world."
The illustrations are beautiful and life-like. I could just look at this book all day it really captures great everyday images that we may miss. You can also see different traditions in different families.
I would use this book in any grade, really; students deserve to see different perspectives. I think everyone should look at this book at least once.
I would use this book in the classroom to help students learn poetry but also to help them make interpretations. I could also use this book to help students "see the world."
June 15, 2020
This book has wonderful racial and ethnic diversity, it is a celebration of light and shows how humanity uses light to mourn, remember, delight, and celebrate. The holidays shown are July 4th, Yi Peng (Thailand), Diwali (a Hindu holiday), Hanukkah (a Jewish holiday), and Christmas (a Christian holiday). But it also shows how light is just a wonder of our day to day, sunshine, lightning, fireflies, and more.
The text is short enough that it could probably be used with toddlers but it could also be used with upper elementary when doing a unit on light or cultures. To aid in these latter uses, it has a bit about the attributes of light and about the different holidays at the back of the book.
The text is short enough that it could probably be used with toddlers but it could also be used with upper elementary when doing a unit on light or cultures. To aid in these latter uses, it has a bit about the attributes of light and about the different holidays at the back of the book.
January 19, 2021
When I ordered this, I thought it was a non fiction book about light -- something close to the back matter. Instead, FLASH AND GLEAM is a gorgeous celebration of light, a illumination of the many ways light is used throughout the world from morning to night. To light the way, to celebrate, to dance, to heal...and to reconcile the impermanence of life when we watch it's daily disappearance.
Le has painted golden warm illustration which perfectly supplement the text and Fliess delivers simple yet strong stanzas in the spirit of Scanlon's All the World.
Le has painted golden warm illustration which perfectly supplement the text and Fliess delivers simple yet strong stanzas in the spirit of Scanlon's All the World.
January 26, 2021
A brilliant celebration of the different kinds of light and how they work in our world. From the rays of the sun that nurture and help grow living things as well as bend to form the colors of the rainbow to the various types of man-made lights that we use in different cultural celebrations around the world, this colorful book explores them all in such a way the youngest of audiences may appreciate. Back matter provides more detailed information for older children, but the main text is appropriate as a read aloud or a bedtime story.
April 3, 2022
“Glimmer Glow Wish and Blow
Blast Beam Let us dream”
A celebration of light as seen through the eyes of 4 diverse families. Poetic text and beautiful illustrations. Though the families celebrate different holidays, they all celebrate the Fourth of July in much the same way. We all celebrate birthdays and dream about our lives. A quite message of tolerance through the visuals.
Two notes in the back: The Science of Light and Light and Celebration as connected to the illustrations of Diwali, Hanukkah, Yi Peng, Christmas and the Fourth of July.
Blast Beam Let us dream”
A celebration of light as seen through the eyes of 4 diverse families. Poetic text and beautiful illustrations. Though the families celebrate different holidays, they all celebrate the Fourth of July in much the same way. We all celebrate birthdays and dream about our lives. A quite message of tolerance through the visuals.
Two notes in the back: The Science of Light and Light and Celebration as connected to the illustrations of Diwali, Hanukkah, Yi Peng, Christmas and the Fourth of July.
May 16, 2020
Thank you Fliess and Le for this heartfelt multicultural and global celebration of light and our common humanity. The evocative spare text paired with Le's inspired drawings make this a book that will stand up to multiple readings and inspire conversation over years between parent and child. The back matter will inform these conversations, with information about the science of light and the ceremonies pictured in the text. Highly recommended!
October 25, 2020
A beautiful book with that grows perspective with limited, simple text that shows light in the world through the eyes of four families around the globe. I do think it was a missed opportunity, however, to represent a family beyond just ones with a Mom & a Dad. Back matter adds more about the science of light + additional information on celebrations involving light from cultures/religions around the world.
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March 12, 2021I loved this picture book. The theme of the book is light and we have everything: light helping things grow, the northern lights, firelight, candles, sunsets, lighthouses, sunsets, birthday candles, fireflies, fireworks, and MORE! The illustrations are charming and I especially like the pages that spotlight Dewali, Hanukka, and Christmas. Children from many nationalities, cultures, and ethnicities are the characters. Text is a simple 5 or 6 syllable poem. I really love this book!
January 24, 2022
Reading this to children you may want to bone up on some different cultural practices because an observant child will ask questions if you live in a rather homogeneous community. The illustrations are bright and eye catching and almost give a feeling of folk art. The text is simple and easy to understand with a rhyme that'll keep children interested. There is a short blurb in the back about light science and the four celebration that are used to demonstrate the importance of light.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews