Review by Booklist Review
Devoted readers of this Caldecott Honor Book creator's work appreciate that through lines are one of his artistic specialties, and the "Good golden sun" rises to the occasion in this picture book of the same name. Using digitally enhanced mixed-media collage illustrations, Wenzel (Two Together, 2024) connects the titular bright star with the multitude of living things that benefit from and share the energy it creates. At sunrise, after collecting a flower's glow, an incandescent bee sets off for its hive and leaves a golden trail in its wake. "Good golden sun, do you ever get cold? For the world gets chilly while you're off wherever you go." A bear devours the bee's golden honey, a mosquito stings the glowing bear, and so on through nature, until a child breathes a sparkling song to the sun slipping away at day's end. With its reflective questions and dual narrative of highly stylized text with kinesthetic illustrations, this contemplative concept book is a thoughtful pick for naturalists, meditative caregivers, and classrooms considering predictive text.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Caldecott Honoree Wenzel's saturated collage and mixed-media spreads trace the sun as it travels across Earth's sky, while wide-eyed creatures ponder its light and warmth. "Good golden sun," a bee asks while alighting on a radiant, just-opened flower, "do you ever get cold?/ For the world gets chilly/ while you're off where you go." A small, anxious mouse queries, "Are you up there staying safe?/ Do you think about the scary things that sometimes lie in wait?" A brown-skinned child working on a farm asks more questions--"Can you bounce?/ Can you roll?/ Do you sleep?/ Do you dream?"--then sings to the sun as it dwindles. Spreads visualize a never-ending web, turning interacting entities golden-hued as they meet. Among them, a bear that eats the bee's honey on one page is stung by a mosquito that's then gobbled by a bird; the mouse, meanwhile, becomes a meal for a fox. The orb remains an enigma ("Every day's the same," a child says, "You stay silent as you pass"), but its effects on Earth's flora and fauna are slyly illuminated in this absorbing visual look at everything under the sun. Ages 4--8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Wenzel presents a visually arresting tribute to the sun and its life-giving force to the planet and the creatures, big and small, who inhabit it. A honeybee greets the sun's first rays as she lands on the petals of a flower. The sun's energy is passed to the bee and from the bee to a honeycomb. Glowing, golden energy moves from animal to animal, then to plants, and culminates with a cat and a boy saying farewell to the "good golden sun" as it slips over the horizon and "pass[es] on all our questions to the moon." The journey of the energy through the cycle of life on Earth will fascinate readers, and the illustrations brim with action and honest information. In one spread a mouse is eaten by a coyote and the text asks, "Good golden sun, are you happy? Are you sad? Or do you stay up above the clouds where tears are never shed?" VERDICT From break of dawn to day's end, the journey of the sun as captured in lyrical text and stunning illustrations is a joy to behold. Highly recommended for all collections to encourage curiosity about life on Earth and the connections all living beings share.--John Scott
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This picture book offers an enchanting reflection on the interconnectedness of Earth's living things and the sun's vital energy. The story in the illustrations unfolds through a cyclical sequence: the sun rises, illuminating a flower, which attracts a bee. The bee makes honey, enjoyed by a bear; a mosquito bites the bear and is eaten by a bird; the bird's egg falls and is taken by a mouse, who is chased by a fox; the fox's excrement feeds the soil and creatures below; and the pattern continues through various animals and natural elements. At the end of the day, the sun sets and the child narrator sings a song -- illustrated as radiant stardust -- to the sun as night approaches and the moon appears. The well-paced, rhythmic, and question-filled text evokes a sense of wonder and immediacy. It also connects to and extends the visual narrative. For example, on the page reading, "Good golden sun, does your belly ever ache? All the world is filled with sweetness. Would you like a little taste?" a bear is shown enjoying golden honey dripping from a hive. The vibrant, collage-like illustrations are digitally enhanced to create glowing, illuminated effects. Light, shadow, and perspective are thoughtfully employed, emphasizing the transfer of energy from one living being to another. A memorable contribution for readers pondering the universe and their place in it. Elisa GallJanuary/February 2025 p.76 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A paean to that huge globe in the sky. "Good golden sun, / where have you been? / We've been waiting in the dark, / eager for your glow again." Relying on gentle soft rhymes, an unseen narrator poses a series of questions to the sun. "Do you think about the scary things that sometimes lie in wait?" "Won't you lend me some milk or meat? / Won't you help to pull the plow?" Wenzel's signature art, constructed out of cut paper, watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, and crayon and digitally rendered, fits his text perfectly. The pop of the golden sun on each page serves as a distinct reminder about what lies in store. Though this isn't an informational science tale, Wenzel's art nevertheless highlights how energy from the sun passes from creature to creature. It might begin with a bee taking sustenance from flowers (which, notably, grow thanks to the energy of the sun). That bee then creates honey, which is eaten by a bear. After biting the bear, a mosquito is devoured by a bird, who in turn drops an egg, which is eaten by a mouse. The path of the sun's energy--conveyed through a golden glow bathing one animal or another--never truly ceases. Readers will delight in tracing the sun's path and all that it's sure to contain. Contains a glow entirely of its own making. Catch it!(Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
