Saskia E Akyil

Moonflower and the Solstice Dance Saskia E Akyil

Moonflower and the Solstice Dance is an illustrated children's book that takes readers on a journey to the steppes of Central Asia, where Moonflower, a young girl from a Turkic tribe, witnesses the changing of the seasons and wonders why warm, long, bright summer days fade away and nearly disappear into a cold, dark winter. The people of her village come together on the Winter Solstice to give the sun the courage it needs to beat back the darkness and rule the sky again. The story is told in rhyming verse, which creates a chant-like rhythm, and flows through the cycle of seasons, with their waves of changing sights, sounds, and feelings. Expertly and accurately illustrated by Mongolian artist Solongo Drini, the book will transport you to a time and place where nature's power and beauty rule. The illustrations have a magical feel, and have the feel of traditional Central Asian artwork. As a profound annual natural phenomena, the solstices have been revered and celebrated for thousands of years by cultures worldwide.



Chidren and adults alike will enjoy the calming rhythm of the text and the transporting beauty of the illustrations. The story will surely become a favorite bedtime story on long winter nights.