In this brightly colored concept book, Brendan Wenzel shows the sun from dawn to dusk as it makes its way across the sky. During its journey, an array of flora and fauna — bees, a bear, flowers, a pair of foxes, crops in the field, birds, and others — asks the sun a variety of questions. "Where have you been?" "Do you ever get cold?"  "Does your belly ever ache?" "How’d you get so big?" "Are you happy? Are you sad?" "Won’t you come down to play?" The sun never replies. It merely continues along its silent path until day slips into night and then disappears beyond the horizon. 

As with the best concept books, a common theme unites the different scenes in Good Golden Sun. Wenzel’s lyrical questions combine with the lively illustrations and his playful use of through lines to demonstrate how energy from the sun connects all Earth’s plants and animals in a circle of life. Like a well-crafted cumulative tale, this delightful picture book shows a clear path from the golden rays of sunshine to the flower to the bee to the honey and to the bear and beyond so that children come to appreciate the interdependence of all living things on the planet.  

While the poetic text makes for an excellent read aloud, the illustrations stand out in a way that is sure to catch the imaginations of small children as well as the attention of this year’s Caldecott Committee. Created with a mixed media of cut paper, watercolor, colored pencil, crayon, and acrylic paint and then digitally enhanced, the images shine as brightly as the sun. Wenzel mostly uses full-page spreads for the vibrant artwork so that young readers can follow the through lines from left to right across the gutter and onto the next page. His expert use of papercraft is evident in the textured illustrations of the foxes, the bear, and the blades of grass in the field. By experimenting with light and shadow, he develops a complex color palette and creates a sense of wonder for young readers. Wenzel’s depictions of the setting sun and a young child singing to moon are likewise exquisite examples of the symbolic use of color. 

Is Good Golden Sun distinguished enough to be considered for the Caldecott? Absolutely. Excellence in execution of artwork? Yes. Excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept? Check. Appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme or concept? Unquestionably. Delineation of the literary elements through the artwork? Indubitably. Finally, excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience? For me, Wenzel’s picture book excels the most with this Caldecott criterion. Children will find joy, amazement, and understanding of the natural world on the pages of Good Golden Sun. What more could one ask for in a Caldecott contender? 

[Read The Horn Book Magazine review of Good Golden Sun]