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The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey
CCBC Review:
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. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Jason Chin
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-11
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Comparisons
Perspective/Point of View
Science and Scientists
Size (Concept)
Publishers:
Holiday House, Neal Porter Books
Publish Year: 2022
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780823450701
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 571 Chin