In the book world, the month of November is dedicated to reading and sharing nonfiction books. This month I’ll be sharing some non-fiction books that I think would be great for readers. These books will cover various topics and interests. If you’d like to see previous #NonFicNov posts, click HERE to see more amazing non-fiction books.
THE DAY TIME STOPPED: 1 Minute – 26 Countries
By: Flavia Ruotolo
Published: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Prestel Junior
Non-Fiction
At 5:33 PM, a girl in Genoa, Italy is eating a popsicle. At that moment, various things are happening around the world because all over the world we are in different time zones. One half of the world is in the daytime, the other half in the night. One half is in summer, the other half in winter.
Depending on where we are in the world and the various policies of daylight savings time, there are 24-39 different time zones around the world. Some countries have different time zones within their own country like the USA and others are so small, they share time zones with neighboring countries.
So, at 5:33 PM in Genoa, Italy, a girl is eating a popsicle. At the same time, Biko’s ball got stuck at 3:33 PM in Praia, Cape Verde. Yuki’s cat was awakened by a noise at 1:33 AM in Sapporo, Japan. Emma’s Dad is reading their breakfast story in San Francisco, but it is 8:33 AM there. Animals, kids, and families all over the world are sleeping, eating, playing, or going to school at the same time that we are doing something in our own little part of the world.
I think this is a concept most kids don’t think about unless they have someone that lives far away from them. The book shows a world map and has flagged all the places featured in the book. Kids will learn about new countries (some even new to me) and can think about other children across the world playing while they are sleeping or eating breakfast while they are going to bed. With Daylight Savings Time this weekend where most of us here in the USA will be “falling backward” and turning our clocks back one hour, this is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about time zones and how the Earth revolves around the sun.
The end of the book offers an explanation for kids about the Earth’s orbit and how time zones work. The concepts are simple enough for lower elementary kids and engaging enough for older kids to begin to ask more questions and maybe even encourage them to do more research about kids in various countries mentioned in the book.
Flavia Ruotolo is the founder of the indie design label, Le Macchinine and the author of two previous picture books for children. She lives in Genoa, Italy.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under #NonficNov, Book Review, Children's books, Flavia Ruotolo, geography, non-fiction