One World, One Day »

Barbara Kerley is the author of National Geographic’s A Cool Drink of Water, You and Me Together, and A Little Peace. As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal and a one-time resident of Guam, who now lives in northern California, Kerley is interested in showing how a richly diverse world shares much in common.

One World, One Day uses exquisite, moving photographs and Barbara Kerley’s poetic text to convey a simple yet profound concept: we are one global family. This is a sophisticated concept book, presented as an elegant picture book with contributions from top international photographers.

This beautiful photo book follows the course of one day in our world. Sunrise to sunset is captured in the essential things we all do daily, wherever we live in the world, and in the different ways we do them. The first meal of the day will take on a whole new dimension for American kids as an American pancake breakfast is contrasted with porridge in North Korea and churros in Spain.

At the end, each image is reprinted as a thumbnail and accompanied by a detailed caption. Selected images feature photographers’ notes that share the thoughts and methodology involved in the making of the picture and reveal fascinating behind-the-scenes information. The photographers reflect on how the pictures might resonate within the theme of the global family. Such reflections are rooted in the life experiences of these well-traveled professionals. Their global viewpoints, in tandem with Barbara Kerley’s powerful message, set an ideal example for all future world citizens.

Publishers Weekly

Sixty crisp, skillfully composed photographs follow children from all corners of the globe through a day, revealing activities that are strikingly similar yet widely divergent in the details. The juxtaposition of images is often remarkable. A photo of a girl waving from the back window of a Pennsylvania school bus appears beside a picture of a child in China's Yunnan Province, whose commute entails crossing a river in a seat suspended from a zip line. Many of the photographers (the images come from numerous sources) use light to dramatic effect: a soft glow illuminates the faces of eight girls in Gujarat, India; sunlight streams through windows as four boys stand at prayer in an Indo-nesian mosque. Supplementing Kerley's (A Cool Drink of Water) minimal, pithy text ("Recess rocks! And so does lunch") are substantive concluding notes that specify the locations, provide cultural context for the photos and-most intriguing-offer occasional photographers' perspectives: the photo of the Indian girls was taken in a refugee camp ("They were wonderful and full of laughter despite the terrible conditions"). An arresting, eye-opening compilation. All ages. (May)

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