Kirjahaku

Concept statement The Longest, Darkest Night is an illustrated children's story about the rarest of winter nights, a total eclipse of the moon during Winter Solstice. The wonders of nature, celestial cycles and the "humanness" of animals are part of this modern fable. Fear of the dark and the unknown, collaboration, generosity and the wisdom of the elders are underlying themes. The story is presented in first person, present tense, creating an inclusive and action-packed reading experience. Extensive back matter includes scientific notes, thumbnail backgrounds for each character, a book list and coloring pages.The delightful illustrations by famed Northwest artist Leslie W. LePere include recognizable representations of animals, trees and events on Earth and in the sky. The rich images and sing-along interactivity bring even more personal engagement as they become integrated into e-books, audiobooks and other smart technologies. Story synopsisThe story begins as the forest community gathers to celebrate Winter Solstice, which is interrupted when a lunar eclipse begins.At first, the moon appears to have a bite taken out, over time she goes completely dark. The trees loose their moon-shadows altogether. What is going to happen? The moon turns orange, then red. Everyone is scared. The animals wonder if the moon is on fire and will crash into the Earth. Clues to the story are nicely snuggled into the enchanting illustrations.Finally, exhausted by fear, the animals hear the wind-whispers of Grandfather Cedar reassure them everything will turnout okay and he explains the eclipse. As they share this magical moment, the animals begin singing the Song of Solstice, and together they look forward to brighter days ahead. In the end, they remind themselves, "Things usually go better when we listen to our elders."Back-matter bonusScientific Notes about the Moon, celestial cycles and eclipses plus interesting facts about nocturnal creatures add value to the book. Topics include, how the moon was formed, a list of nocturnal animals and many links to facilitate personal exploration. Back-matter for The Longest, Darkest Night has been peer-reviewed for accuracy by the Department of Astronomy, University of Washington.

Arthur Schopenhauer devoted his adult life to the articulation of a philosophy for the world, a philosophy that would benefit mankind by providing a solution to the riddle of existence. Often considered a thoroughgoing pessimist, Schopenhauer in fact advocated ways - via artistic, moral and ascetic forms of awareness - to overcome a frustration-filled and fundamentally painful human condition. Though presented in luminous prose, Schopenhauer's philosophy was ignored for most of his life. Yet fifty years after his death his ideas were being celebrated by intellectuals, writers and artists. His name became a byword for philosophical greatness. This new critical biography provides a concise introduction to the life and work of the nineteenth-century German philosopher, situating the principal doctrines of his philosophy in the context of his life. Philosopher and scholar Peter B. Lewis describes and explains all the major events, as well as the philosopher's ideas on the meaning of life, the nature of art, religion and morality. He also relates Schopenhauer's ideas to the intellectual and cultural background of early nineteenth-century Germany. Schopenhauer's philosophy has always held a special attraction for those who wonder about life's meaning, as well as those interested in music, literature and the visual arts. Illustrated with portraits and photographs of Schopenhauer, and his family and contemporaries, Arthur Schopenhauer will engage all those readers, as well as students and scholars of Schopenhauer and nineteenth-century philosophy.