Title: Older Than the StarsAuthor: Karen C. Fox
Illustrator: Nancy Davis
Publication Info: Charlesbridge, 2010
Intended audience: Ages 7 and up
Genre: nonfiction, picture book
Themes/topics: cosmology, evolution, science
Synopsis and opening: ”You are older than the dinosaurs. Older than the earth. Older than the sun and all the planets. You are older than the stars. You are as old as the universe itself.”
Karen C. Fox explains Big Bang Theory and evolution in a simple and child-friendly way. Her tale connects the reader and all the plants and animals on the Earth to the beginning of time when the Big Bang created the “bits” — the protons, neutrons and electrons — that became the building blocks of all elements and life. These elements are eternal, Fox explains. You breathe the same oxygen the dinosaurs breathed. Your fingernails contain carbon that might have been part of a plant. As she knits the tale together, she follows the format of “This is the House That Jack Built” to show how the Big Bang ultimately resulted in complex life.
Resources: BrainPOP has a fantastic animated cartoon that explains Big Bang Theory. You’ll need a free trial to access it. Several Web sites use balloons to explain Big Bang Theory. In this one, from Discovery Education, children blow up a balloon and measure distances between different objects marked on the balloon to see how the universe is expanding. DLTK has an activity for making your own universe in a baby food jar. It’s kind of like the snow globe activity I posted previously.
Why I like this book: I wish I had written this book. Karen C. Fox’s book is the perfect marriage of scientific fact, told simply and within a beautiful narrative framework.
Every Friday bloggers review “Perfect Picture Books.” Find a complete list of book reviews organized by topic, genre and blogger at author Susanna Leonard Hill’s site.
Kirsten W. Larson 
This sounds fasinating. I’d love to read it. My kind of book 🙂
Seriously, I had to refer my husband to it while we were watching “How the Universe Works.” Hilarious.
I bet what makes this book really work is the “House that Jack Built” style. That’s the hook that drew me in.
Was it nonfiction author Fiona Bayrock who said, “If you’ve got a hook, you’ve got a book?”
This book sounds fabulous! I’m so happy that you find all these great non-fiction titles! I find myself wanting to read everything you post 🙂 Thanks so much for adding this to our list – I posted an “I wish I wrote that” book today too 🙂
I guess my mission is to dispel the myth that nonfiction has to be boring.
Wow, what skill, to simplify and explain all these evolutionary details in such a clear, fun way. I would love reading this, Kristen.
It’s a fairly new book, so hopefully it’s easy to find.
Kids love space and planets. This sounds like a perfect addition to their already curious minds about it. 🙂
It’s a wonderful book, which can be enjoyed by children young and old since it has sidebars with additional info.
I love books with side bars of additional info. It makes learning so much fun. 😉
I think the sidebars are a great choice too. For younger children, you can just read the poem, but for older children, you can read the more complex information.
I love these nonfiction titles. Great choice for PPBF. I have a lot of, I wish I’d written that book”! Maybe someday some writer will post that about our books. I will definitely add this to my list. *waving*
Oh, how I am waiting for the day when someone says that about our books! 🙂
Great, another science book for older kids. Such a complex subject, but one that kids are interested in. I loved what you shared. I should read this book! Great choice.
Really, you can read this book and add Big Bang Theory to the topics you can discuss fluently. I found it very informative.
Narrative nonfiction is something I’ve been interested in writing for a long time. Thanks for such a great example.
Laura, I have another great one coming next week. Stay tuned!
You were right, this is a great non-fiction book! I have not hear of it! Great choice 🙂
Glad you think you might enjoy it!
This is above my son’s reading level, but I’m very curious to see how the author handled this topic. Wow. Thanks for featuring it this week.
It’s a fun book. Even if it’s above your son’s reading level, he might enjoy the poem part of it.
What a great story- even for adults. I’ve never stopped to think that we breathe the same air that the dinosaurs did. What a great choice for this week!
A2ZMommy and What’s In Between
It’s pretty amazing to think that the Big Bang created all the elements, and that matter never disappears, but just gets reformed over and over again.
Oh my goodness I have to get this book for my son RIGHT NOW!!!
Now that’s a rousing endorsement!
I am loving all of the non-fiction recommendations, because they are not usually ones that I pick up. This book sounds anything but boring, and I think my science-loving son will find it fascinating. Thanks, Kirsten!
I’m sure your son will enjoy it Amy. It’s a very well-written book.
I will be picking this one up! Thank you for the recommendation. I have a hard time picking good non-fiction picture books, so it’s nice to have a place to go for ideas.
Heather, inkrethink.blogspot.com is a great resource. There are others on my blogroll as well.
What a fantastic book, loved that they used the Jack and Jill style writing. Love the bright colourful cover, wish this was around when I was at school, then maybe I would have taken more of an interest in science. Thankyou Kirsten for adding it to our list.
I’m always interested in how writers provide a “hook” for their nonfiction writing. This was an interesting form I hadn’t seen before.
This sounds wonderful — as all the books you review do. I wish someone had been explaining science in these fun ways when I was a kid!
I honestly believe and early interest in science is crucial, and well-written books certainly help.
This looks like a book that is very informational for kids. I love finding new non-fiction picture books. Thank you for adding it to the list!
I’m glad you enjoyed the review, Loni.
What a totally cool book! I’m going to see if our library has it so I can read it to my class. Thank you!!
❀Barbara❀
Grade ONEderful
I just read that local STEM school has added this book to its library. It’s a great choice.
Thanks for your review, Kirsten. I will have to check this out.
You are welcome, Penny!
This would be a great book for any elementary classroom or homeschooling family! Great pick, Kirsten…and I love all the resources you provided. 🙂 I should read it for myself…I know I would learn a lot.
I’ve heard the expression as, “It’s not the book, it’s the hook.”…which I guess is what pitches are all about…there is so much out there…if you want your book to get noticed…there has to be something that GRABS the attention.
Vivian, this is a fantastic book for EVERYONE. I have to admit, it helped me brush up on my Big Bang Theory. The concept of matter being recycled over and over again was a new one for me, but cool. I breathe dinosaur air!