WHEN IT’S SIX O’CLOCK IN SAN FRANCISCO

Omololu introduces the concept of time zones by depicting the slice-of-life activities of nine families in ten global cities. When Jared wakes in the titular city at 6:00, Geneviève is on her way to school at 9:00 in Montréal and Oliver, in London, plays soccer with classmates at 2:00 p.m. Rashida’s family in Lahore eats spicy dal for supper, while Min-Yue and his parents bike home at 10:00 p.m. in Beijing’s February cold. Numerical clocks for each city aggregate on successive spreads, and aftermatter includes a world map with the 24 time zones and brief historical and geographical information. Alternating between sequential panels and full-bleed spreads, DuBurke’s acrylics convey both cross-cultural unity and variations. However, paintings vary in technical skill, with some facial portrayals lacking consistency between panels. The authorial choice to create stories in each time zone rather opting for a more abbreviated treatment results in a regrettably overlong text. A serviceable treatment of the topic, useful for classrooms and families. (Picture book. 5-8)