Book Descriptions
for The Universe in You by Jason Chin
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
In a companion to Your Place in the Universe, which explores objects vast in size, Chin sheds a light on the opposite end of the spectrum: the microscopic building blocks of human bodies. The narrative begins with a Calliope hummingbird, the smallest bird in the United States, as it alights on the finger of a brown child who uses a wheelchair. As diminutive as the bird is, it is not as small as the smallest butterfly, which in turn is not as small as the smallest bee. Smaller still are humans’ finest hairs, called vellus hairs. And smaller yet are skin cells and their nuclei, which are comprised of even smaller particles, each of which have their own microscopic parts. The size of the objects in the narrative shrinks until it reaches elementary particles, or quarks and gluons, which are so small humans are unable to measure or divide them. Tiny though they may be, however, elementary particles are the building blocks of everything in the universe, including “the body of a unique human being … a singular person who can think and feel and discover.” On each page, detailed, labeled illustrations provide additional information about the mind-boggling particles mentioned in the primary narrative. (Ages 8-11)
CCBC Choices 2023. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2023. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Jason Chin, winner of the Caldecott Medal for Watercress, dives into the microscopic building blocks of life in this companion to the award-winning Your Place in the Universe.
In Your Place in the Universe, Jason Chin zoomed outward, from our planet, solar system, and galaxy to the outer reaches of the observable universe. Now, Chin reverses course, zooming in past our skin to our cells, molecules, and atoms, all the way down to particles so small we can’t yet even measure them.
Like its companion, The Universe in You is a mind-boggling adventure that makes complex science accessible and enjoyable to readers of any age.
Impeccably researched, wholly engrossing, and with extensive backmatter for additional learning, The Universe in You is another knockout from the award-winning creator of Redwoods, Grand Canyon, and other distinguished works of nonfiction for young readers.
An American Library Association Notable Children's Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
In Your Place in the Universe, Jason Chin zoomed outward, from our planet, solar system, and galaxy to the outer reaches of the observable universe. Now, Chin reverses course, zooming in past our skin to our cells, molecules, and atoms, all the way down to particles so small we can’t yet even measure them.
Like its companion, The Universe in You is a mind-boggling adventure that makes complex science accessible and enjoyable to readers of any age.
Impeccably researched, wholly engrossing, and with extensive backmatter for additional learning, The Universe in You is another knockout from the award-winning creator of Redwoods, Grand Canyon, and other distinguished works of nonfiction for young readers.
An American Library Association Notable Children's Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
