It all started with a simple question. "Who invented solar panels?" turned into a beautifully illustrated story of how humans all over the world had spent generations looking to the sun as a possible resource. By using creativity and working together, people around the world have been able to heat homes, create solar steam engines and solar panels, travel to space, heat water, and find ways to potentially help heal the planet from the damage we have caused.

This will be a great addition to my classroom library and lessons, highlighting the importance of collaboration and solar power.

Thank you to netGalley and W.W.Norton for the eARC.


This was a gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book about how there is a deep relationship between our world and our sun. It was introspective about our relationship with the sun on a personal, cultural, and how we are going to shape our relationship as we go into the future.

A frankly outstanding book, that surprised me on many fronts. It's the history of solar power, from just facing your home to have the summer sun warm it up, to the latest see-through solar panels and every step in between. The artwork is definitely eye-opening – OK, even Greta Thunberg would not recognise herself in her portrait here, but the expressive designs not involving actual people are truly top-notch, and the text almost deserves being set out like verse, as it is. I knew so very little of this, but if you think about it there is no insufferable, uber-rich oligarch in charge of solar – and this history of it proves how it is this person with that humble idea here, that humble person with that development there, that has got us where we are. I'm so glad this book literally shone a light on them all, and I'm so glad it did it with the style and success it shows.

Look, I'm tighter than many, many reviewers when it comes to giving five stars. The books for which five stars don't seem enough can probably be counted on my fingers – between five and ten a decade. This is one.

Wonderful, beautiful, full of history, truth, and hope!
I thought I knew the basics of the history of solar panels, but this book is so full of information - I ended up learning so much. Yet, the book doesn’t feel too heavy or overwhelming due to the facts - they are presented in such a smooth way that they just feel like a part of a story.
I love how this story covers the earliest known utilization by humans of the sun as a power source (ancient history), all the way to the present and the scientific breakthroughs currently being made, the humans who make these changes possible, and the hope they provide.

Beautifully illustrated, this book examines the way the sun's energy has been used throughout time by different cultures and how we use it today. It further questions, how much more we could be using it and what the future might hold. This is a perfect introduction to an elementary or secondary unit on energy and fossil fuel. It would be a great jumping off point for older students as it introduces a complex topic in simpler terms, but then leaves the audience wondering what else is out there. A MUST HAVE for every school collection at any level.

WE CARRY THE SUN is an incredible look at how humans have harnessed the power of the sun and what that means for us now and in the future. It sparks an interest into being environmentally aware, including how one human can make a difference.

WE CARRY THE SUN is a long look at how the sun has been used over the years, including the invention of solar panels, a critical look at fossil fuels, and all of this is made in a way so that children can understand.

The artwork is very gorgeous- I didn't quiet expect this from a science based book. A few of the pages had artwork that felt a bit more abstract, which I loved. The abstract artwork is definitely a place where more conversations can be had with young readers to help develop implicit understandings of the subject.

While there are a few people who will read this and see it as political motivated, I enjoy that. I enjoy that this book has a critical eye on fossil fuels, inspires the reader to know more about climate change, and presents one of the many solutions that are out there. It's such an essential aspect of teaching young people.

This is a big climate change book. I am glad I read this before reading to my son, because this book would just scare him. Not only the words, but the pictures as well. You would think that solar power lobbyist paid for this book. I am not against solar power, but I just don't like how the messaging here was framed.

A beautifully illustrated, straightforwardly written book about the sun, solar energy, and how harnessing the sun's power all came about.

Filled with information about all the people who have been involved over the years/centuries in ways of harnessing the sun and its power, and how all of us. working together, can make it even better, and make our world a cleaner, safer place.

Told in a way that children will understand [with an author's note and timeline at the end] and will spark further conversation, this is one of the better nonfiction children's books I have read and I highly recommend it.

Very well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tae Keller, Rachel Wada - Illustrator, and W.W. Norton & Company/Norton Young Readers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the pictures in this story. I think for a childrens book though this book was very opiniated at certain parts about climate change and certain president's. I liked the history and timeline it took the reader through solar power and how far we have come in history.

Wow. This is an extensive history of the sun. I enjoyed learning all that I did in this book, though I feel it is a bit too deep for most young children.

A picture book that reads as a series of informational biographies, or a collection of inventions that have led to our use of solar technology, this would not be ideal for a read-aloud from cover to cover. But it would absolutely work as a reference text to accompany a unit on solar energy, engineering, or inventions. Since each inventor or event is a bit of a separate story, students and teachers can jump in at the point they are studying, and put the book aside until more information is needed.

If writing a biography, this would also be a great resource for various inventors over the years who have tried ways to harness the sun's energy. This is also a call to action to work to preserve our world's resources.

Tae Keller is a fantastic author who writes a beautiful story, and it would be worth a read or even a read-aloud for older students. I recommend this book for schools.

I appreciate that solar power got a narrative.
There were some interesting illustrations, but overall, the style did not work for me.
My child learnt many facts and great information about solar energy that they are too excited to share with their classmates.

This children's book is filled with amazing illustrations that will catch the eye of readers of all ages. The content reads more like an introduction to the history of solar energy and feels a bit doom and gloomy in today's current political environment. I would hand this book to families who are environmentally conscious, curious about the natural world, or looking for books about environmental activism. In the right hands this book will be very impactful.

We Carry the Sun is an interesting picture about the sun and how mankind has looked to the sun for different types of innovations. It is an amazing overview of the history of solar power and some of the people that have contributed to using the sun for warmth and energy. Rachel Wada’s art is amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for this DRC.
#WeCarrytheSun #NetGalley

We Carry the Sun written by Tae Keller, illustrated by Rachel Wada is a beautifully illustrated work with soft pastel color compositions with auras and beams of light emanating from its subjects. The writing is informative and lyrical, concise and at times poetic. Readers will learn how human ingenuity has attempted to harness the sun’s energy throughout history. It shows how humans have hurt the earth with their use of fossil fuels, yet inventors continue to experiment finding new inventions to capture the sun. The message is hopeful for future generations. A necessary edition for the school library and environmentally conscious collections.

Thank you Norton Young Readers and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this ebook.

There was a good idea here, but let me just say one thing: I am so sick of kids' books that are about climate change and making a difference. Not saying that I don't support it. I definitely think that we need to take action and fight climate change while we still can. What I AM saying is that it's a topic in kids' books that has gotten old quick. I think that this book tried to switch it up a bit by narrowing the focus, but I think that it didn't succeed. It kind of ended up being like every other climate change kids' book out there. However, I will say that a lot of the points made in this book were genuinely interesting, but they might not be super engaging to younger readers, unless they are passionate about this topic. Lastly, I really want to say that the middle section about how we're so focused on oil that we're killing our planet was so. Depressing. Absolutely honest, if I was a little kid reading this I would burst into tears. It's scary! I understand that the author is trying to make an impact, but you can make an impact in a different way.
All in all, this book was disappointing and not for me.

We Carry the Sun tells the fascinating history of humanity harnessing energy from the sun. From observing and learning the sun's path to powering everything from watches to households, humans have come an incredibly long way in (as the title suggests) carrying the sun with us. I had no idea the concept of solar power went back quite so far! The author does a wonderful job of simplifying such a detailed history while still hitting the highlights -- and the illustrations are immersive and absolutely stunning in their own right!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's book managed to make the history and science of solar power both interesting and accessible. I really appreciated that Keller honored multiple scientists and acknowledged that development usually isn't linear or solely on one single genius. Her lyrical style makes it read a little like a prose poem, which is fun.
Also the illustrations were really beautiful. The artwork alone is worth looking at.