We Carry the Sun [Hardcover]

More than a resource about the history of solar energy, its also a look at stepwise progress made by standing on the shoulders of those who have come before. The text is engaging, and the imaginative, colorful, and often dramatic artwork will draw readers to this informative picture book. Readers of any age will be caught up in Wadas truly breathtaking art, every spread a blaze of light-evoking color as curved refractions and radiating rays demand viewers attention& Compositions range from gorgeousa darkened hand extending toward a forest canopy, backlit and aglow from the suns raysto surreal, as the world warps in an orange and purple haze of oil derricks and felled trees. Pointed and inclusive, this will be galvanizing for kids beginning to understand the full range of powers (scientific and political) in the world around them. Full-bleed illustrations, both informative (such as the depiction of the first solar home) and bold (as shown in the extraction of oil), enhance Kellers compelling, poetic text in this, her first nonfiction picture book. Wadas use of light (symbolically bursting across the pages as ideas are born) and dark (showing pollution and stagnation) further complements the narrative. Kellers strength lies in demonstrating how ideas grow across people, places, and generations& An advocacy-focused journey through centuries of solar development. This ambitious book...has STEM intrigue as well as a glimpse of how breakthroughs happennot overnight, but in small, valuable increments. For that alone, this is an essential purchase.