How old are you?--Older than you think. In a way, we are all as old as the universe itself. In fact, every bit of every one of us was created in the Big Bang, billions of years ago. Stunning illustrations and lively verse tell the story of the cosmic connections that tie human beings to the beginning of the universe. Simple, informative prose provides additional facts.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Karen C. Fox has been a full-time science writer for almost two decades. Covering subjects such as physics and astronomy, Karen has written for several publications, including Science Magazine, Discover, and Popular Mechanics. She also was employed as the producer and writer of Science Report Radio at the American Institute of Physics. Growing up, Karen always knew two things: that she wanted to be a writer and a physicist. After graduating from Amherst College in 1991 with a B.A. in Physics and English, Karen settled on the decision to write about science, and furthered her education by enrolling in a science communication graduate program at the University of California Santa Cruz. Armed with a degree in Science Journalism, Karen has been writing books and articles ever since. Older Than the Stars is Karen's first picture book, but her previous credits include two adult books, Einstein: A to Z (Wiley) and The Big Bang Theory: What it is, Where it Came From, and Why it Works (Wiley), and a book for young adults, The Chain Reaction: Profiles in Nuclear Science (Grolier). A member of the D.C. Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers, Karen currently resides in Washington, D.C.
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More About the Author
Karen C. Fox is a veteran science writer who has covered physics and astrophysics since 1991. Her writing has run the gamut from describing stellar fusion for children's books to magazine articles on particle accelerators to developing NIST's website on establishing national energy and environmental impact standards to producing a teacher's guide on low-temperature physics. She believes anyone can understand complex physics when explained properly, and prides herself on producing successful, factual, and enjoyable science translations for lay audiences.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully rendered story of the universe that works for younger/older kids
April 8, 2010
Format:School & Library Binding|Amazon Verified Purchase
Karen Fox's book does a wonderful job of presenting a brief history of the universe, from Big Bang to the kid reading the book, with parallel textual tracks that provide just enough for younger readers and more science heft for older kids.
Starting with the Big Bang, her evolving rhyme -- "This is the Bang" etc., kind of like "There once was a woman who swallowed a fly" -- goes through the creation of atoms, their diffusion through space in star formation and supernovae, and ultimately the formation of our sun and Earth and its inhabitants.
With my five year old, just reading the rhyming part is enough. But on each page there is also a smaller more science-y text that older kids will find appealing, coupled with a glossary at the end and a timeline of the universe. The illustrations are beautiful and dynamic. I liked how the theme of stars was echoed in many of the drawings.
All in all this is a very satisfying book that I look forward to my daughters turning to over the next few years and continuing to gain more as their reading and understanding match the book's universal story.
Starting with the Big Bang, her evolving rhyme -- "This is the Bang" etc., kind of like "There once was a woman who swallowed a fly" -- goes through the creation of atoms, their diffusion through space in star formation and supernovae, and ultimately the formation of our sun and Earth and its inhabitants.
With my five year old, just reading the rhyming part is enough. But on each page there is also a smaller more science-y text that older kids will find appealing, coupled with a glossary at the end and a timeline of the universe. The illustrations are beautiful and dynamic. I liked how the theme of stars was echoed in many of the drawings.
All in all this is a very satisfying book that I look forward to my daughters turning to over the next few years and continuing to gain more as their reading and understanding match the book's universal story.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Mary Liepold
Format:School & Library Binding|Amazon Verified Purchase
and we have to get ourselves back to the garden."
If you remember this song from Hair, you're probably a grandparent like me. And what grandparent or parent doesn't want the kids they love to know they're made of star stuff? It's an indispensable message.
Once I ordered this and read it, my only problem was deciding whether to send it to the precocious two-year-old or the phenomenal eight-year-old. When they got together with my copy last week I realized it was great for both, with the catchy House-that-Jack-built refrains and the scientific information running together on every spread. I'm going to keep mine AND order two more!
If you remember this song from Hair, you're probably a grandparent like me. And what grandparent or parent doesn't want the kids they love to know they're made of star stuff? It's an indispensable message.
Once I ordered this and read it, my only problem was deciding whether to send it to the precocious two-year-old or the phenomenal eight-year-old. When they got together with my copy last week I realized it was great for both, with the catchy House-that-Jack-built refrains and the scientific information running together on every spread. I'm going to keep mine AND order two more!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By J. Buchanan
Format:School & Library Binding|Amazon Verified Purchase
My 4 year old and I love this book. It has a terrific rhyming scheme, great pictures, and of course answers some of life's big questions (way better, incidentally, than I was doing on my own). Highly recommend!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous Book of Truth
Found out about this book at my Unitarian Universalist Church -- can't wait to share it with my 6 year old grandson!
Published 17 days ago by Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect!
This book was exactly what I wanted. Scientific while still being entertaining and easily adapted for different age groups. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kat C.
4.0 out of 5 stars
For myself
I bought this book for myself. I enjoy the pictures and I like the text. I read it approximately twice a week.
Published 2 months ago by Lynn Bottge
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cute Book
My four year old grandson likes the pictures and the story is cute. This has been added to his growing library!
Published 2 months ago by joyk
5.0 out of 5 stars
We love this book!!
The repetitive nature of this book is cute. My daughter likes to say the end phrase on each repeat. Read more
Published 3 months ago by S. Gulliford-Gosnell
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Good!
The author does a pretty good job of getting the idea across that we are all part of the universe, without simultaneously brainwashing the child into believing that the whole thing... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jimbo
5.0 out of 5 stars
My 5 year old daughter loves it.
I purchased this book for my daughter as she is interested in science and astronomy. We have had discussions about the universe starting in a Big Bang, as well as the fact that our... Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Melvin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Book
I really can't say enough about how great this book is. It starts of with the bang when the world began and each page expands on that and tells the complete story of how the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by maigen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
About a 5 minute read, and it explains the origins of the universe
in an exciting way that opens up the pathway to meaningful discussion.
in an exciting way that opens up the pathway to meaningful discussion.
Published 5 months ago by Slackerprince
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb book for young, school-aged children
This book explains, through clever verse and colourful pictures the origins of the universe. The story is engaging, and offers scientific explanations to many questions. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Cate
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