One World, One Day, by Barbara Kerley. National Geographic, Random House. 2009. $21.00 ages 4 and up

"At dawn, as the sun slips over the horizon,
kids around the world get up
wash up
and celebrate a new day."

Barbara Kerley lived in Nepal for two years in the early 80s. While there she noted that, while some aspects of life there were quite different from her American home, there was also much that was the same. 'The children got up, went to school, came home, helped around the house, and the whole family gathered in the evening to relax and spend time together'. At school she found the same thing. She learned that the people of the world are alike in many ways.

In this fine book, filled with breathtaking photographs, she brings that discovery to full and vibrant life. There are few words, but the story is told on the faces of the children as they celebrate each day in all corners of the world. The settings may be diverse but the experiences are so similar...it is a lovely sentiment.

A most useful, and informative, addition is found in the book's final five pages. The author provides location, a caption to describe the photograph and a note from the photographer explaining the occasion that inspired the picture. It adds a deft touch. Finally, a world map places each photo and includes a description, the page number and the location of the published photograph.