A boat can be suddenly surprised by a storm on the Baltic Sea.
An elevator can become stuck between floors in a New York building.
A ball can fly towards a window.
A package can arrive at its destination.
So very many things can happen in just one short second, all around the world, and this beautiful book shows us the magic of such 'insignificant' occurrences and how fascinating they can be.
From Buenos Aires to East London, Sydney to Tokyo, Chicago to the Indian Ocean, each double-page spread is numbered so children can discovered where each moment occurred--with a map at the back of the book.
I love how Isabel Minhos Martins has included many lesser known places in her work, including places I'd also never heard of--Seydisfjordur, Iceland and Xangongo, Angola, for example.
I also love the freedom of Bernado Carvalho's dynamic, punchy, illustrations--sometimes so detailed and far away, sometimes so close, a girl's profile encompasses three-quarters of the spread. I also love the dual narrative in the pictures, with emotional detail--sometimes uplifting, sometimes haunting--that typifies the complexity of our planet and its people.
A book to make children think--and appreciate the enormity of our planet.
Wonderful.
Title: The World in a Second
Author: Isabel Minhos Martins
Illustrator: Bernado Carvalho
Publisher: Enchanted Lion, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 1 September 2015
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781592701575
For ages: 3 -8
Type: Picture Book
