We Gather Together - Wendy Pfeffer

What is the fall equinox?

The official start of the harvest season, it occurs around September 21each year. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of longer nights and shorter days. For many cultures around the world, the fall equinox represents a time to celebrate the harvest and begin collecting and storing crops.

Looking at both the science of weather and the history of how the fall equinox has been celebrated by various cultures throughout the world, this book will inspire a new understanding of autumn and the harvest season.

Science activities, ideas for celebrating the fall equinox, and further reading list included!

Wendy Pfeffer is the author of many science-oriented children's books, including From Tadpole to Frog and A Log's Life, which won the Giverny Award for Best Children's Science Picture Book. An early-childhood specialist, she enjoys visiting schools and teaching creative writing to children. She lives with her husband, Tom, in New Jersey, where the change of seasons allows them to sail and swim in summer, then cross-country ski after the winter solstice welcomes winter each year.

Linda Bleck grew up in a family of nine children in northern Illionois, and their Thanksgiving feasts were celebrated at a table her father made from a large door. Today, Ms. Bleck is making memories with her own children in Wisconsin, where the fall's brilliant colors of changing leaves and crisp blue skies, as well as visits to local fruit and pumpkin farms, provide her with the inspiration to create her vivid illustrations. She is the author and illustrator of Pepper Goes to School and the illustrator of a series of children's treasuries of nursery rhymes, songs, lullabies, and prayers. Ms. Bleck has a degree in graphic design from the University of Illionis, Urbana-Champaign. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

Praise for We Gather Together:

"Although a substantial amount of information is presented, Pfeffer's lively writing style will keep readers engaged. Bleck's vibrantly hued illustrations, reminiscent of the work of Leonard Weisgard, are carefully interwoven with the text and enhance the book."
-School Library Journal

"This will be a very useful addition to a home or school library-instructive but appealing in format and presentation."
-Children's Literature