The World In A Second - Hardcover

Martins, Isabel Minhós

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1592701574 ISBN 13: 9781592701575

Publisher: Enchanted Lion, 2015

Synopsis

Every time a second crosses the world, millions of big and small things happen—here, there, and everywhere!

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the 21st Century (So Far)
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2015

Inspired by the question "What are they doing right at this moment on the other side of the world?" this book focuses on natural and human events happening all over the world in the same second. Talking about the world and how it's so different in places but also so similar and shared, so incredible and surprising, the books takes us to New York, Chicago, Mexico, Portugal, Angola, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungry, Brazil, and South Africa, among others.

So, while you sit turning the pages of this book, things are happening everywhere. Somewhere, a wave is reaching the shore. Elsewhere, an orange falls from a tree. In yet other places, there's a traffic jam, a stuck elevator, and someone's going to sleep. Inevitably, a book is coming to an end as another is beginning. Time is always in a hurry, never, ever stopping, and yet as you focus on these lovely illustrations, which stand as true evocations of place, time begins to slow down and, for moments, it even feels as if time has stopped, and you are transported – out of the flow of time and into the wholeness and purity of a moment. A moment of bird flight; a moment of daydreaming while washing the dishes; a moment of wondering how something felt and what came next.

About this title

About the Author

Isabel Minhós Martins is a Portuguese author and publisher whose words are found in works of poetry, children’s books, magazines, comic books, and scripts for animations.

Bernardo Carvalho is an illustrator and graphic designer from Lisbon whose work has been honored with multiple awards.

Reviews

Gr 4 Up—This mesmerizing picture book shows events all over the world that take only a second to elapse. Beginning with the opening page ("Every time a second crosses the world…millions of things happen, here, there, everywhere…"), scenes unfold, depicting activities both typical and unexpected (a volcano erupting, an old woman getting ready to go to sleep, a house being demolished). The book concludes with a map of the world that indicates where and when each moment took place. The text is straightforward, but the illustrations are stupendous. Deceptively simple, the art is flat, with a graphic feel, featuring a muted palette. Perspective is critical to the effectiveness of the images; they're presented from various creative points of view that influence viewers' perception of the scene. Teachers can easily use the spreads as writing prompts for students. VERDICT A work of art, with much potential classroom usage.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

Edition details

• Publisher: Enchanted Lion
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1592701574
• ISBN 13: 9781592701575
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Carvalho Bernardo
• Number of pages: 56