On Saturday, December 21st, Earth enters the Winter Solstice — the longest night and shortest day of the year. Around the globe, the day is celebrated in a myriad of ways: some cultures have special meals, others exchange gifts, and still more feature dancing and traditional costumes to celebrate “the return of light.” In Kate Allen Fox’s new picture book Winter Solstice Wish, young readers are introduced to one community’s solstice celebration and the spirit of connection that it represents. We had the chance to ask Kate a few questions about Winter Solstice Wish and the roles of science, human connection, and the cosmos in her books for children.
About Kate Allen Fox
Kate Allen Fox is an award-winning children’s author from Southern California. After working in public health, she combined her passions for science and the written word and began writing picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity about the natural world. Her works include Pando, A Living Wonder of Trees (Capstone, 2021), A Few Beautiful Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2023), Winter Solstice Wish (Beaming Books, 2024), and Scratching the Surface: Exploring Earth’s Layers (Capstone, 2025). Her picture books have received critical acclaim, including starred reviews and being named among the best books published in their respective years. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and McSweeney’s. In addition to being a writer, Kate is a speaker, arts educator, and homeschooler.
Thank you, Kate, let’s get started.
Can you tell us about the Solstice celebration in Winter Solstice Wish and your special connection to it?
First, thank you so much for having me! While many people associate the Winter Solstice with snow and cold, I live in southern California where winter looks different. In Winter Solstice Wish, a community gathers on a beach and builds a bonfire to celebrate the longest night of the year together. I was inspired by some of my friends who hosted a similar celebration on a San Diego beach. I also wrote the first draft of this book while sitting at the beach with my sons on a different Winter Solstice, so it’s a story very much rooted in the beautiful place I live.
Why do you think that the book’s message of hope and togetherness is so important for young readers right now?
There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty in the world, and kids internalize those feelings. While, as adults, we might think about large social or political issues as driving those fears, for kids, it might be something more personal — like the feeling of being alone at a new school or having difficulty navigating some change in their lives. Whatever darkness they’re facing, I hope the book shows that we can get through difficult times with the support of our loved ones.
Your previous book, A Few Beautiful Minutes, also centered on lunar and solar events. Can you talk a little about why you are drawn to these events as a writer?
I do seem to be drawn to certain themes. When I’m writing, I’m often inspired by a sense of wonderment or connection to the universe. For me, nature and astronomical events seem to create those feelings.
How important is it for you to explore the scientific side of astronomical events with your readers as well as the human side?
It’s a balance. I’m probably more interested in how science and nature make us feel than science itself, but I think understanding science makes you appreciate the beauty of our world even more. To understand why and how things happen is to understand the secret of the universe. I think there’s real magic in that, especially for kids.
And I hope I can inspire some budding scientists along the way. My sons are both scientifically inclined, and I love it when they get interested in a topic I’m researching and extend their learning past what’s in the book.
This was your first time working with illustrator Elisa Paganelli. What was your collaborative process like?
First of all, Elisa’s art is absolutely amazing, and I’m so thrilled that she signed on to this project. Because this story is set in southern California, I shared some reference photos of local beaches and other details through our editor. I was also able to see early sketches and drafts. But beyond that, I just got to enjoy her wonderful work. How lucky, right?
It’s always fun to ask children’s authors about the books they loved when they were children. What’s a childhood read that you still think about to this day?
Perhaps surprisingly, I didn’t read a lot of “children’s classics” growing up. My dad read me a lot of adult poetry, which definitely influenced my writing style. I did love Shel Silverstein and memorized a lot of his poems. I was always more interested in reading and writing poetry, and I didn’t really fall in love with fiction until I was older.
Lastly, in honor of Winter Solstice Wish, what songs would be on your Winter Solstice playlist?
Oh, great question! As a big fan of Death Cab for Cutie, I’d have to include both Meet Me on the Equinox and I Will Follow You into the Dark. Then maybe we’d move to Starlight by Muse and Counting Stars by OneRepublic. And I’d end with Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky. It’s totally instrumental, but it feels like staring up at the starry sky in total wonderment while holding the hand of someone you love — just like happens in Winter Solstice Wish.
A huge thank you to Kate for sharing her work and her time with us! We hope that she and you have a fabulous Winter Solstice this year. Be sure to find her online at kateallenfox.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @kateallenfox, and don’t forget to add Winter Solstice Wish to your family’s reading list.
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