One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth

This book is amazing, really lovely! It takes you to many different places such as Zambia, Australia, California, Phillipines, Hawaii and many more in 24 hours.The story highlights how beautiful our planet is and all the lovely animals but also makes it clear how time is running out and we all need to sit up and pay attention.I found some of the information sad and difficult to read but it is true and therefore it is relevant to write about these things. The story about the bird waiting for the parents to come back with food and how they may come back with bottle tops or plastic really made me feel sad but thankfully they came back with squid.So many animals are now either extinct or on the verge of becoming extinct due to poaching, climate change as well as the mess and things being dumped in the sea.May we all not forget the importance of bees and other wildlife too. I feel this book is informative and an excellent read for children and adults too. It is a celebration of not only Earth Day but Planet Earth and makes it clear we all need to take action now.I received this Advanced Reading Copy directly from The Publishers for review purposes.

This is an interesting picture book showing kids what is happening around the planet during one day. What is happening on the planet when it is midnight in the UK? In Svalbard a polar bear mother hunts for food, while elsewhere an elephant baby is born and kangaroos box. This paperback is bigger than A4 in size and is filled with thick pages of some really lovely illustrations and text.The book begins with a note to the reader about the different timezones on planet Earth before the story begins. Following two girls who wonder what is happening on planet Earth when it is midnight where they are, the two go on an adventure to see all the different wildlife that exists and what is happening at different times of the day in those different parts of the world. I like the idea of this book, showing the different animals and what they are doing. On each double page there is an image of some animals as well as information about where on the Earth and what hour it is there and also some more information on the animals there and some environmental facts too.While the idea of the book, showing all the different animals and wildlife that exists on the planet is a good one and one I would have loved looking at as a child to find out about what is happening at any one time, the book does have a heavy environmental message which did make the book feel like an important read, but also possibly for some children, quite a sad read too. On some pages, like the polar bears, the future of the bears is made clear that it's uncertain. On other pages there is information about how the environment is being destroyed or disappearing, and one of the final pages shows the two girls scared of the modern world (the world and city they live in) and its disasterous environmental impact. I do think that the message about how we need to do more for the planet is a good one to share with kids, and there is a mesage at the end of the story telling kids that we need to do something, but I couldn't help feel that the way it came across throughout the book was a little too dark, and left the book feeling more of a sad or depressing read than it should have been.The ilustrations are really fantastic and really bring to life the animals and creatures that you see. I love the way the two girls show up on each page, but sometimes you need to look around a little to really spot them hiding somewhere. Each illustrations brings the outside world to life and it's amazing how realistic so many of the animals look. The back of the book does have a bit more information about climate change and messages from the author and illustrator too.I do think this is a nice book to share with children especially if they understand the environmetal message that's being shown, and the fact the book mentions Earth Day at the end makes this a good book to show at such a time, however, I do think that without the input of an adult, the book's message might be more lost on some children and I do think that despite the dire situation the planet is in, the book could have had a more positive and uplifting feeling at the end than it does. Overall a good environmental read, but not quite the story I thought it would be.-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.

Taking one moment in time, starting in London with two children, Davies cleverly takes the reader all around the globe into different time zones, exploring what is happening there with the animals and environment. One minute to midnight in London in April is 5.30am for example at Gahirmatha Beach, India, and the author describes the baby sea turtles hatching. The illustration is beautiful, stretching out under a moonlit sky, as the two children crawl carefully along with the turtles. The text explains what is happening and gives a small warning of how pollution and human interference can be damaging, in very plain text. Each double spread has a similar message and good animal information, including Hawaii, Ecuador, Antarctica etc. This is a beautifully illustrated way to teach about the growing dangers of climate change and the threats the environment faces. It may be slightly challenging and sad, but probably necessary.A good read that I would suggest is read to a child with an adult present, so that difficult topics can be explained.I received this Advanced Reading Copy directly from The Publishers for review purposes