Earth Hour 2020 – Global Event

March 28, 2020 8:30 p.m. (local time)

Earth Hour: A Lights-Out Event for Our Planet

Nanette Heffernan, Author

Bao Luu, Illustrator

Charlesbridge, Nonfiction,  2020

Suitable for Ages:

Themes: Energy conservation, Climate changes, Earth Hour, Global events

Opening: “All over the world, millions of people use energy, every day, every night.”

Bookjacket Synopsis:

Each year, Earth Hour is celebrated on a Saturday night near the equinox in March. At 8:30 p.m., in every time zone across the world, lights fade to black for this special event.

Observing  Earth Hour is a promise to conserve energy. Turning out nonessential lights at home and in public places for one hour is a symbol of global action.

From the Sydney Opera House to the Great Wall of China, from the Eiffel Tower to the Statue of Liberty, and from one home to the next, every light matters.

Why I like this book:

Nanette Heffernan empowers children to see how they can conserve energy and make a positive change and difference at home, school, in communities and around the world. This is my favorite kind of book to share, because kids can do amazing things to help climate change on the planet — and they know it!

There is simplicity in her lyrical text , which allows children to read, study and question how they use energy personally and how it’s used globally. What would their lives be like without energy?  There is a lot of diversity depicted in text and artwork.

Bao Luu’s richly-colored illustrations compliment her text with short visual scenes depicting how children and their families use energy daily to how energy is used to light up the iconic global landmarks at night.  His artwork momentarily plummets readers into darkness when the lights are turned off, but are replaced with beautiful midnight blue illustrations accented by the moon and stars shining brightly on Mother Earth.

The author first encountered the lights going out on the Golden Gate Bridge one night as she crossed. She later learned it was in honor of Earth Hour and became an instant fan. She pledged “to share this event with one million people.” For Heffernan, “We turn off out lights as a pledge to live more sustainably and conserve energy – not just during Earth Hour but during every hour and every day throughout the year.”

Resources: Read the back matter at the end of the book. Check out the Earth Hour website to learn about ways of getting involved or events near you. On March 28, for one hour, turn off the lights, TVs, and other appliances in your home. Invite your neighbors and friends to do the same. Light candles, play board games. Write a short story about your experience and your thoughts about the importance of conserving energy.

Nanette Heffernan is a children’s author and sustainability consultant. Her lifelong goal is to make Earth a better home for children whether by making them laugh or addressing environmental issues that will affect their generation. Although she loves her leadership roles in the community, she is most fulfilled while dressed in school lunch trash and visiting schools and festivals to talk to thousands of kids about the importance of protecting our environment. She is pleased to share her efforts have earned her three Environmental Awards of Excellence. She lives near San Francisco, CA with her family, Koda the dog, George the cat, and eight chickens, all named Companion.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Book reviewed from a library copy.