Somewhere in the World Right Now (Reading Rainbow Book) [Paperback]

Stacey Schuett (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Reading Rainbow Book

School Library Journal called Stacey Schuett's stunning authorial debut "a book that is perfect for sparking an interest in geography, emphasizing the amazing concept that at the same moment we are getting ready to sleep, other people are starting a new day." And in a starred review, Publishers Weekly added, "Schuett proves as nimble with words as with a paintbrush."  It's a good-night wish that circles the globe.  

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An experienced illustrator, first-time author Schuett (I'll See You in My Dreams) proves as nimble with words as with a paintbrush. At 8:00 p.m., a child tucked in her bed in Boston listens to her father read a story. But at that very moment, "Somewhere else, in velvety darkness, elephants sleep standing up, swaying gently from side to side." A single moment telescopes into an entire day as Schuett highlights contemporaneous activities around the world, setting her text and illustrations atop background maps. Gently scumbled and luminously colored, these maps supply the geographical location for each vignette. Intimate prose and atmospheric images blend the mundane ("People go to work, stores open"), the exotic ("jaguars glide through the jungle"), the mysterious ("A boy hides a note for a friend to find"), and the humorous (a dog runs off with a worker's lunch). While youngest readers will grasp the basic idea of different "times" in different locations, older children will recognize the orderly "zones" as the book's vignettes progress from morning to night (and bedtime). More advanced readers may take up the stickier abstractions of the international dateline. So soothingly written and structured that it can double as a bedtime book, this unique work affords an extraordinarily compelling, clear approach to a complex topic. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?What's happening around the world when it is one o'clock a.m. in England? Lots! Exploring this fascinating concept, this story takes children around the world to show what's going on at the exact same moment in other areas. A time-zone map on the endpapers, which includes the times and names of places shown in the pictures, allows readers to follow the action around the globe. Schuett's illustrations, each overlaid onto a map, capture the mystery of early morning hours on the plains of Kenya, the freshness of a new day dawning in India, and the subtle humor of a dog running off with a worker's lunch in Russia at noon. Her story takes readers through busy cities and family homes, rainforests and swampland, exploring all varieties of settings. The poetic text encourages them to look deeper into the pictures for hidden details. A book that is perfect for sparking an interest in geography, emphasizing the amazing concept that at the same moment we are getting ready to sleep, other people are starting a new day.?Christina Linz, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dragonfly Books (November 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679885498
• ISBN-13: 978-0679885498
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is wonderful!, August 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Somewhere in the World Right Now (Reading Rainbow Book) (Paperback)

This book is a wonderful, colorful book that is very well written and is a great plot line. It follows the activities of various people around the world at the same moment in time - explaining about time zones. It starts with a baker in London and ends with a child going to sleep in Boston. Each page/location has lovely illustrations, including an overlay of a map of that city. It makes a lovely gift, especially for children who have contact with other countries (or parents who want to expose their kids to other cultures and countries). I've bought several copies for friends and family!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have you ever wondered what people in Alaska are doing NOW?, August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Somewhere in the World Right Now: (Reading Rainbow Book) (Hardcover)

Have you ever wondered what it is like, right now, on the other side of the World? What people in different countries are doing, right now? With this book you can get a glimps of Kenya in velvety darkness, day break in India, Australia in late afternoon shade........and on around the globe. Also learn about how and why daylight savings time came about, and the reason for the Internation Date line........and why it's crooked!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent look at time and space, November 1, 2005

By 

waldorf_curric - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Somewhere in the World Right Now (Reading Rainbow Book) (Paperback)

I knew this book was about time zones from reading the reviews. But I wasn't prepared for how rich and well-thought out the text was. Schuett is a long time illustrator writing her first book and she has done a really remarkable job. I feel as if she composed the text and pictures simultaneously (which, no doubt, she did). They blend perfectly. The book contains a map of the world with its timezones, as well as some background for parents briefly describing the history of time. But the most incredible thing about this book is the maps. Each illustration, which shows people in the world moving about their day, is painted on top of a background which is an actual map of where they are. Including names of countries, cities, rivers, and so on. This special touch takes this book to a whole new level. For one thing, how many children look at a globe, with its colors and grid, and strange markings and really realize what it means? That the map represents another town, like your own in some ways, with people who do what you do (read bedtime stories, head out for a day of work, write a note for a friend and hide it in a secret spot).

Use this book to introduce time zones, move on to a discussion of maps and globes, and finish with linear measurement. Use the city names on each page to locate exactly where these map exerpts were taken from and pin a piece of string onto your globe from your house to that spot. See how far away these families are from your house. And if they're on the other side of the globe -- literally -- that will make it all the easier to understand how, when the sun is shining here, it must be dark there! This is a MUST OWN for homeschooling or any family who has elementary school children.