At the Same Moment, Around the World

January 20, 2014
In a story originally published in 2011, French artist Perrin infuses what might have been a superficial idea with unexpected depth of feeling. “It is six o’clock in the morning in Dakar, Senegal,” opens the book. “Keita wakes up early to help his father count the fish caught during the night.” Drawn in warm pencil, the fish, boats, waves, and even Keita and his father’s eyes repeat the same oval shape. “At the same moment, in Paris, France, it is seven o’clock in the morning, and Benedict drinks hot chocolate before school,” Perrin continues. The tall, thin pages frame the mansard roofs of the city; Benedict can be seen through the window of his flat. From Bulgaria to Baghdad, Dubai, and on, Perrin imagines children at the same moment in each respective time zone, drawing their lives together in one great symphonic chord. Although the book includes a note about time zones and a foldout map, its aims go beyond simply being “educational.” Perrin’s artwork, with plenty of shadow and contrast, is not afraid of the dark, lending complexity and drama to the simple prose. Ages 5–8.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
Published first in French in 2011, Perrin's elegant construction looks at children and young people around the globe eastward from the Greenwich meridian. At 6 a.m. in Dakar, Senegal, Keita is helping his father with his catch of fish. "At the same moment," goes the refrain, it is 7 a.m. in Paris, and Benedict is drinking his hot chocolate before school. The moment unfolds with Yasmine in Baghdad, Lilu in the Himalyas, Chen in Shanghai, Allen and Kiana in Honolulu, and so on. The children range in age from newborn, like Diego in Lima, Peru, who is born there at 1 a.m., to teenagers, like Sharon and Peter kissing goodbye in San Francisco at 10 p.m. The pictures, in pencil and digital color, fill the tall oblong shape of the book dramatically. Details are telling: A little red-beaked bird appears on most of the pages; the Frenchman striding along with his briefcase is smoking a cigarette; in Dubai, Nadia is watching yet another huge building go up; Pablo's dreams in Mexico City take shape with Aztec symbols. A lovely foldout world map places and names all these children. A brief but excellent description of time zones and timekeeping closes the volume. Who knew that India and China both have only one time zone across their huge expanses? A very fine working of story, information, art and culture. (Picture book. 5-9)

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March 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-At six o'clock in the morning in Dakar, Senegal, Keita helps his father count the fish caught during night. So begins a tale of events happening at the same moment all around the world. From the Greenwich meridian eastward, full circle back to Senegal, Perrin takes readers on a voyage of events in 24 time zones where children are conducting their everyday activities. Mitko, in Bulgaria, chases after the school bus; Chen, in Shanghai, practices for the Lunar New Year parade at 2:00; and Pablo, in Mexico City, is having magical dreams at midnight. Each hour presents a unique cultural experience of normalcy in the lives of children and their families. Stunning, digitally enhanced ink illustrations depict the variety of landscapes, architecture, clothing, and customs of a diverse world, yet all portray what is recognizably the same in all children's lives. A large, pull-out world map reveals each time zone and the children shown in the story. A lovely addition to a study of time zones or an exploration of cultural diversity-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

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