One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth, written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2023. $24.99 ages 7 and up

"GAOLIGONGSHAN NATIONAL NATURE 
RESERVE, CHINA (6:30 a.m.)

First light is the cue for gibbons to start their 
song. Listen: that's the female whooping. 
Next, her mate joins her in a wild duet, 
which says, "This is our home."

Lower down the mountain, all the trees
have been cut down. But up here, gibbon
families still sing from night to day ... 
sending pangolins and clouded leopards
off to bed and waking birds and monkeys."

In a marvelous journey that allows two sisters to travel across all time zones on Earth in one 24-hour period, readers join them as they start at their home in Greenwich, U.K. The children are tucked under a blanket fort with a book and a flashlight, accompanied by a long line of toy animals who will find a role in the story to be told. The room is dark but for the flashlight, and the clock reads 11:45. 

A globe shows where their home is. A note to the reader reminds that Earth is always turning. Twenty-four hours in a day, 24 hourly segments to travel through, all being a different time than where the journey begins. As the clock strikes midnight in their bedroom, it is 1 a.m. on the Arctic Circle where the sun is still shining even though it is nighttime. A polar bear is hunting to feed her twins, but ice melt is making her search more difficult all the time. 

At 2 a.m. in Zambia, a newborn elephant is trying to find its legs while protected from danger by her family. Wildlife rangers also work to protect the elephants from poachers who want their tusks. Moving on to India, it is now 5:30 a.m. and baby sea turtles are wriggling their way across the sand toward the ocean. They are protected here and make their way safely. As the clock strikes a new hour, the children move on. 

And so it goes ... they are off to the next destination, and new learning about the animals living in every corner of our world. Short paragraphs describe them and some of the threats that climate change is causing for them. They also learn that humans can be of help for the animals' protection. The children do as children do - hanging from a tree with a sloth, swimming with sharks and humpback whales, and cavorting with kangaroos as they deal with the scorching heat. 

When they finally arrive home it is the first hour of Earth Day. After all they have seen, they now have the power to encourage those who are just waking p to take care of this amazing place we call our home. 

Outstanding text and remarkable illustrations offer readers and listeners a clear look at the wonders of our planet. End notes include words from both author and artist, an explanation of climate change, and what people can do to help make a difference. Time is ticking away. Unless we get busy and do something, there will be little left to be done. This is an ideal book to share on Earth Day ... or any day.