Solstice Tree for Jenny

by Karen Shragg, Heidi Schwabacher (Illustrator)

It's Christmas time all across America and Jenny is feeling left out. Her secular parents, born to different faiths that they no longer observe, don't believe in celebrating Christmas. She never seemed to mind before, but this year it bothers her--maybe because they're home and not on the Florida coast where they usually go at this time of the year to avoid the holiday hoopla. All around her the neighbors have decorated their houses with festive lights, while her house by contrast looks drab and uninviting during the long, cold winter nights. Itfs made her feel like an outsider. Why does her family have to be different? She talks with her mom and dad about their reasons for not observing the holidays.Then one day a teacher gives her "an awesome idea": she tells Jenny about the winter solstice and ancient traditions among many peoples of the northern hemisphere who celebrate this shortest day of the year in anticipation of the longer, warmer, and brighter days of the coming spring. Why don't we celebrate the winter solstice, too? Jenny wonders.Her parents can't help but agree and a few days later they bring home a potted pine from the local nursery for the living room. What fun they all have placing their special decorations on the solstice tree. And best of all, Jenny can now invite any of her friends, no matter what their religious backgrounds are, to admire her beautiful tree. Everyone can participate!This charming story will help children and parents enjoy the winter season in a meaningful and all-inclusive fashion.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Christmas

49 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading Karen Shragg's 2001 picture book A Solstice Tree for Jenny (as I am always on the lookout for child friendly picture books about the Winter Solstice and also think that celebrating and focussing on the latter could perhaps be a way to make the December holiday season more acceptable and easier for children whose parents do not and also do not want to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and that both the book title and the cover image do look rather appealing). But sorry, both Karen Shragg's text for A Solstice Tree for Jenny and also to a point Heidi Schwabacher's accompanying artwork have not been all that personally pleasant for me and to the point that I really cannot and will not consider more than a two star rating for A Solstice Tree for Jenny (and that yes, I am also glad I did not try to order A Solstice Tree for Jenny, that I read this book for free on Open Library).

For while I do think that Karen Shragg does a sufficiently decent job showing in A Solstice Tree for Jenny how and why young main protagonist Jenny feels left out and depressed (in December) since her secular and very staunchly atheist parents refuse to put up any lights, decorations etc. at all, well, considering that Jenny's parents are shown by Shragg as being academics, as being professional university-trained archaeologists, honestly, why does it take Jenny (and her sympathetic teacher Ms. Montgomery) to remind the supposedly intelligent parents of the Winter Solstice and that decorating a tree and putting up lights and such should not automatically be seen as something inherently religious? I mean, it is in my humble opinion actually pretty darn easy to be entirely secular whilst still celebrating the spirit of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and for Jenny's parents with their university education to not be able and also not willing to realise this and to also be depicted by Karen Shragg as not really caring all that much (at least at first) that their daughter is feeling left out and that secularism seems to be much much more important to Jenny's parents than their daughter's feelings and happiness, yes, this right from square one so to speak kind of puts me in a rather majorly foul reading mood regarding A Solstice Tree for Jenny (and indeed, both my adult reading self and equally so my inner child, with my inner child in fact even feeling rather annoyed and angry on Jenny's behalf, as there certainly is for me some major disrespect emanating from Jenny's parents in A Solstice Tree for Jenny and also a textual negativity towards ALL religions which even with me being not being all that religious I do find problematic and that frankly Jenny's parents with their extreme anti religion and pro atheism attitude are actually kind of reminding me in a very uncomfortable manner of evangelising religions and in particular fundamentalist Christianity, so that yes, I do think that with A Solstice Tree for Jenny Karen Shragg celebrates in a very long winded and preachily pedantic manner Jenny's parents being fundamentally secular and anti-religion, even if Shragg does think Jenny should have a Winter Solstice tree).

Finally, with regard to Heidi Schwabacher's illustrations for A Solstice Tree for Jenny, albeit the pictures look adept enough stylistically, that Schwabacher's artwork (unlike the book cover image with its delicate hues of colour) is entirely black and white, rather stagnant and lacking both emotion and as such also any kind of seasonal magic and charm, yes indeed, the combination of text and images for A Solstice Tree for Jenny has been not at all enjoyable to and for me (and that I in fact even think that my two star rating is actually pretty generous and maybe even rather overly so).

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for a kid without a religious culture. Jenny makes her atheist parents celebrate the Winter Solstice so that she can also take part in the holiday festivities. That was great and the book covered some really important themes (such as we all - okay, most of us - believe in the same basic things such as kindness, generosity, etc.).

My problem with this book is Jenny and her archaeologist parents look into the traditions of Solstice, they find lots of ancient traditions from cultures around the world, but the author fails to mention the traditions and practices of modern day Pagans who do celebrate the Solstice as a religious (spiritual?) holiday. It seemed to me that at least a mention of the thousands of us that celebrate Solstice/Yule would be appropriate.

But it's better than no picture books about Solstice, and a good book overall.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanist winter holiday children's book. I'm not racing to buy it for my library collection because it is nearly 20 years old (backorder on B&T, N/A on Ingram, $62 on Amazon). It is good though and if it ever becomes available or affordable I would purchase it for the library. Until then, waiting for a more recent type of book.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long and wordy, the dialogue didn't seem very realistic, and it felt kind of judgmental. I'm pagan, so I can appreciate the attempt to educate children about other beliefs and ways to do good deeds, but this book felt like it was trying too hard.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2001 and since I first went looking for books on the winter solstice (1994), this short and sweet story about differences and respect and compromise talks about solstice in a way that could be embraced by all but the extremist few (or maybe not as it doesn't affirm nor disconfirm the more traditional end of year celebrations). How Jenny deals with her feelings of difference is a lesson for all children. Her respect for her parents beliefs even though it is those beliefs which reinforces her differences is a model to be followed. Her solution and compromise to build her own traditions is heart warming, creative, and imaginative. Should all people approach the end of the year holidays with as much thoughtfulness as Jenny...yes, they should.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too long and preachy. It's kind of more atheist/better person that thou. I don't really like the unintended messages it gives (the importance of fitting in by conforming, fear of impoliteness to elders, etc) and the intended ones are pretty heavy-handed. I don't like that the atheist parents seem to be depriving their daughter of something until she shows them the way. But it gets an extra star for filling a wide open hole in children's books. There really are very few books on this topic.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premise was great, wound up being rather preachy and over-done, for all that it's a book about finding reasons beyond religion for celebrating the moments in the year that we all seek to find closeness. Would be ok for a child who's feeling left out of Christmas/Hanukkah celebrations due to their parents' non-religiosity, but not a particularly memorable story.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, preachy, obvious; maybe because I am not the target audience? I'm vetting it for my daughter, though, and it could be a handy conversation starter in a couple of years.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Had lots of interesting and thought-provoking dialogue if a little clunky at times.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I thought this was a picture book, but it's more of an early chapter book lol. It really addresses how non-religious families can explain the holidays to their children who are seeing lights and presents and other things in religious households. Jenny and her family decide to celebrate their own way and in ways that show their values and beliefs. A great read for older littles and for inclusive beliefs!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to show how solstice is for everyone. A bit wordy for younger children however.