What About The Universe?

If you’re looking for a great and fun astronomy present for your insatiably curious nine-yearold niece or nephew, stop looking and buy this book. But before you give it away: make sure to enjoy it yourself. At the very least, it will provide you with an entertaining refresher course of astronomy basics.

There are plenty of children’s books about the Universe, but in many cases they are disappointingly superficial when it comes to factual content. This is a missed opportunity, young kids are one of the most knowledge-hungry audiences. Indeed, they revel in surprising facts, crazy concepts, weird ideas and unimaginable numbers. Little wonder that almost all children are excited about astronomy and space.

Author Bertrand Fichou doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. In fact, the first two spreads of his book discuss the expansion of the Universe and the Big Bang. The 40 or so mini-chapters in the book all have a question as a title, like ‘Why don’t people on the other side of Earth fall into space?’, ‘Can you time travel?’ and ‘How do planets and stars get their names?’. The many subjects are all well-chosen and clearly answered in a straightforward and easy-to-grasp style.

The real value of the book is in the comical-yet-informative drawings by Pascal Lemaître (a distant relative of Georges Lemaître of Big Bang theory fame). Loaded with funny characters and humorous details, these illustrations will grab the attention of young inquisitive readers, and help them grasp the wonders of the cosmos. ★★★★★