Horn Book (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Fox explains the fascinating-yet-true concept that the atoms that make up our bodies, our earth, and even our universe are the same that have existed since the Big Bang. In an assemblage of brightly colored graphic art, the formation of matter from the origins of the universe to its combination into atoms, elements, stars, planets, and life is shown in sequence. Timeline. Glos.

Kirkus Reviews (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

In this appealing picture-book introduction to cosmology, a cumulative rhyme presents the "big bang" theory of the origin and development of the universe and the idea that humans, along with everything else, are made of star stuff. Each double-page spread is illustrated with Davis's lively supportive graphics done with pencil, cut paper and prints and digitally composed; each includes a breezy paragraph of more comprehensive explanation. The pages explode with color: vibrant oranges, yellows, pinks, purples and grayed greens. At first the "House that Jack Built" text tumbles, too, becoming more orderly as the chaos of the beginning structures itself into stars, the Earth and finally its inhabitants. A final timeline summarizes the chronological narrative, balancing 300,000 years on the left with nearly five billion years on the right but noting that it is not done to scale. A glossary offers more precise definitions of the terms used. This simple but effective presentation of a complicated theoretical model, the most commonly accepted explanation of the universe's beginnings, will delight early readers and listeners with its personal connection. (Informational picture book. 5-9)

School Library Journal (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 2-6 Fox and Davis tackle the challenge of creating an engaging read-aloud about the Big Bang theory with energy and style. Employing the structure of a familiar nursery rhyme, the text takes readers through the steps of the universe's expansion: "This is the BANG when the world began./These are the bits that were born in the bang when the world began." A text box on each spread offers a clear, concise explanation of what happened in that particular stage of the universe. Fittingly, the illustrations start off chaotically, relying on abstract blobs of color and use of textual design. Gradually, as the universe orders itself, the artwork resolves into familiar shapes: the Earth, animals, people. Both author and illustrator hang the child appeal of the book on the concept that the same atoms present at the beginning of the universe make up our world today; in essence, each child is "as old as the universe itself." Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano's Big Bang! The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular (Charlesbridge, 2005) also offers a child-friendly take on the theory, but Older Than the Stars will appeal to even younger students with its nursery-rhyme-style text and simple, clear explanations. Perfect for the classroom, this is an intriguing introduction to a difficult-to-understand concept. Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD