Library Binding ©2020 | -- |
Publisher's Hardcover ©2020 | -- |
Parent and child. Juvenile fiction.
Love, Paternal. Juvenile fiction.
Cosmology. Juvenile fiction.
Parent and child. Fiction.
Love, Paternal. Fiction.
Cosmology. Fiction.
A child "made up of stars" finds their place in the universe."The universe conspired to make you," a father tells his child as they gaze out at the moon one night from the child's bed. As the father goes on to wax poetic about his love, the art takes readers on an intergalactic journey. Nebulae, galaxies, planets, and stars populate breathtaking, high-contrast double-page spreads that feature the curly-haired, brown-skinned child out in the universe. One spread depicts a silhouette of the child while the text reads, "The iron in your blood, the calcium in your bones, / are made up of stars that lived long ago." Another, wordless spread depicts the child at the center of a giant atom. Astrophysicist Jayawardhana's picture-book debut effectively and eloquently affirms the importance of a single life amid the vastness of the universe—a small lesson under the blanket of parental love. Though framed by the child's first-person narration, the story is primarily driven by the father's monologue. Colón's art, created in his signature scratched-colored pencil technique, revels in the details. The soft, cool tones of the Earth scenes provide a wow of a page turn as the colors explode with warmth in subsequent spreads. Gold foil stars speckle the cover. There's hardly room—or need—for white space in a book this grand and glorious.Out of this world. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)
School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)PreS-Gr 4 This beguiling bedtime tale at once explores a child's place in the universe and in a loving parent's heart. Acclaimed astrophysicist Jayawardhana's lyrical text underscores the intersection of science and wonder, the intimate and the expansive, the familiar and the unknown. Gazing out the window at bedtime, a girl's father tells her that she is made of stars: "The universe conspired to make you/Just like the sun gives shine to the moon,/you light up the world beyond this room." Colón's eye-dazzling mixed-media paintings majestically convey the grand ideas, effortlessly pivoting from depictions of celestial skyscapes to close-up images of a nightgown-garbed girl with flowing black curls and twinkling eyes. One spread shows a midnight-blue silhouette of the childher body filled with bright-hued renditions of the long-ago stars that now make up the "iron in your blood, the calcium in your bones"set against an abstract background that could be viewed as microscopic body cells or a broad image of a sun. Worlds seem to coalesce and collide ("Your atoms spin like Saturn's rings./You are a part of everything"), as stylized atoms dance above the girl in a dreamy planetary panorama, appear like tiny henna tattoos on her arm, or become giant-sized enough for her to float through. All of these astral wanderings and wonderings are brought home with a cozy conclusion, as the girl's father tucks her into bed beneath a smiling moon. VERDICT This lovely picture book can spark interest in scientific exploration, create awareness of our connection to the cosmos, and encourage dreamers to embark on their own journeys of imagination. Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs
ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)In this debut picture book, scientist Jayawardhana brings home the fact that we are, quite literally, made of stardust. Framed by a young girl's father telling her she is made of the stars, the story takes a turn for the metaphysical as the girl reflects on how her traits mirror those of the universe. Her presence illuminates like the sun; her wavy hair undulates like the Milky Way. In addition to the metaphorical love of a father for his daughter, there is the science of it all. Iron in our blood comes from ancient stars; the atoms in our bodies spin in emulation of ringed Saturn. The simplicity of the text is brilliantly upheld by Colón's spectacular colored-pencil illustrations. The wordless spreads are particularly compelling for their swaths and curlicues of rich colors depicting cosmic wonders such as solar flares, atomic structures, and ocean waves l coexisting naturally on the pages. Extensive back matter by the author explains the science behind our cosmic composition.
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)A child "made up of stars" finds their place in the universe."The universe conspired to make you," a father tells his child as they gaze out at the moon one night from the child's bed. As the father goes on to wax poetic about his love, the art takes readers on an intergalactic journey. Nebulae, galaxies, planets, and stars populate breathtaking, high-contrast double-page spreads that feature the curly-haired, brown-skinned child out in the universe. One spread depicts a silhouette of the child while the text reads, "The iron in your blood, the calcium in your bones, / are made up of stars that lived long ago." Another, wordless spread depicts the child at the center of a giant atom. Astrophysicist Jayawardhana's picture-book debut effectively and eloquently affirms the importance of a single life amid the vastness of the universe—a small lesson under the blanket of parental love. Though framed by the child's first-person narration, the story is primarily driven by the father's monologue. Colón's art, created in his signature scratched-colored pencil technique, revels in the details. The soft, cool tones of the Earth scenes provide a wow of a page turn as the colors explode with warmth in subsequent spreads. Gold foil stars speckle the cover. There's hardly room—or need—for white space in a book this grand and glorious.Out of this world. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Accompanying inspirational words from astrophysicist Jayawardhana (
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
School Library Journal Starred Review (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Perfect for fans of The Wonderful Things You Will Be and That's Me Loving You, this picture book by a renowned astrophysicist is a lyrical meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe.
Just like the sun gives shine to the moon,
you light up the world beyond this room . . .
You are grand and marvelous, strong and mysterious.
The history of the world is in your fingertips.
A lyrical meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe, this gorgeously illustrated picture book shares the immensity of a parent's love along with the message that we are all connected to the broader cosmos in important and intimate ways. A perfect bedtime read-aloud, Child of the Universe is a book to cherish forever.
The author is an astrophysicist who has been fascinated by the universe since he was a child. As a parent, he has developed a new appreciation for the deep connections between billions of years of cosmic evolution and this one tiny human.