Your Place in the Universe

PreS-Gr 4—This picture book helps children and adults conceptualize size, space, and distance. The narrative begins with a group of curious eight-year-olds who are peering through a telescope. The text compares the kids to larger and more distant items, including a book, a giraffe, trees, and buildings. The illustrations include the objects' scale and height in feet and meters. Each picture shows the item compared to the previous example. For instance, when the text explains the size relationship between the world's tallest buildings and the world's highest mountains, Chin's extraordinary artwork shows how tiny the buildings are compared to the breathtaking mountains. The book keeps zooming out through the Milky Way and through galaxy clusters until readers are viewing the entire universe. Back matter features an author's note, information about the age of the universe and the illustrations, and print and online resources. People of all ages will want to pore over the captivating artwork and think about the relationship between size and space. VERDICT A fascinating book that is as informative as it is marvelously absorbing. A must-have for any collection.—Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elem., FL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This dizzyingly powerful exploration of comparative scale starts with an inclusive group of eight-year-old children who are "about five times as tall as this book, but only half as tall as... this ostrich," which is itself "taller than two eight-year-olds standing on each other's shoulders." Page-turn cliffhangers build a pleasing buzz of suspense as Caldecott Honoree Chin (Grand Canyon) adroitly guides readers from ostriches to redwood trees, past skyscrapers and Mount Everest, through Earth's layered atmosphere to the moon, and beyond the solar system to the edges of the observable universe. Brief asides offer crystalline explanations of supplemental information, including units of measurement from inches to light-years ("One foot is equal to 12 inches. Feet are useful for measuring things that are taller than humans, such as ostriches and giraffes") and concepts such as orbits, the speed of light, and the limitations of human perception from one's place in an enormous universe. Chin's realistic watercolor and gouache illustrations render awestruck children and cosmic shimmer with inimitable skill, and a magnificent spread comparing Mount Everest's mass to that of human-built structures is likely to draw gasps. Extensive back matter centers scale and astronomical concepts. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

★ A stimulating outing to the furthest reaches of our knowledge, certain to inspire deep thoughts.—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

★ People of all ages will want to pore over the captivating artwork and think about the relationship between size and space. . . . A fascinating book that is as informative as it is marvelously absorbing.—School Library Journal, Starred Review

★ Complex concepts (such as local galaxy groups and super clusters) are clearly defined throughout in simple captions elucidating Chin's watercolor and gouache art. . . . Extensive back matter delves deep into current understandings of the size, age, and complexity of the universe. Sources are listed along with child-friendly websites for further exploration of the big and small ideas presented in this out-of-this-world science picture book.—The Horn Book, Starred Review

★ Page-turn cliffhangers build a pleasing buzz of suspense as Caldecott Honoree Chin (Grand Canyon) adroitly guides readers from ostriches to redwood trees, past skyscrapers and Mount Everest . . . Chin's realistic watercolor and gouache illustrations render awestruck children and cosmic shimmer with inimitable skill, and a magnificent spread comparing Mount Everest's mass to that of human-built structures is likely to draw gasps.—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

As always, Chin is a stickler for details (the book was vetted by two Harvard astrophysicists); all illustrations are shown to scale with the exception of one or two final entities that would otherwise spread beyond the page. A worthy addition to STEM literature; concluded with generous back matter.—Booklist