{"id":1303870017,"title":"Big Bang!","handle":"big-bang","description":"\u003ch1\u003eBig Bang!\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/carolyn-cinami-decristofano\"\u003eCarolyn Cinami DeCristofano\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Michael Carroll\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/michael-carroll\"\u003eMichael Carroll\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEssential science expanding inquisitive minds.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce upon a time, the universe was very, very small. Smaller than a “freckle on a flea.” And then it got bigger. In one instant it got a lot bigger. In this energetic exploration of the Big Bang theory—how the universe began, what happened between then and now, and where it seems to be going—readers young and old will gain an understanding of the way the universe works, and just how very big it is. This is an adventure in physics that defies the confines of thirty-two pages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrilliant illustrations make the universe seem like a fast, furious, and fun frenzy of a party. Bright, kinetic paintings and photos (even some from the Hubble Telescope) convey the endless motion and activity of space and everything in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"A Black Hole is NOT a Hole\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/products\/a-black-hole-is-not-a-hole\"\u003eA Black Hole is NOT a Hole\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Faraway Worlds\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/faraway-worlds-br-font-size-2-plantets-beyond-our-solar-system-font\"\u003eFaraway Worlds\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-spread.jpg?313908398523878461\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarolyn Cinami DeCristofano, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarolyn DeCristofano is filled with awe every time she peers into a deep, star-filled sky. She lives in Plympton, Massachusetts, with her husband. She has contributed to science exhibits and teacher resources for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Museum of Science (Boston), WGBH (Boston), and NASA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/carolyn-cinami-decristofano\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Carolyn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Carroll, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Carroll is an award-winning astronomical artist whose work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, including \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e. His paintings have aired on TV’s NOVA and have even flown in space (one was aboard the MIR Space Station). Michael has done paintings for NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Russia’s Institute for Space Research. He lives with his family in Littleton, Colorado.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Michael Carroll\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/michael-carroll\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Michael.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIRA Children's Book Award Notables\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eScience Books \u0026amp; Films\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books for Junior High and High School Readers 2005\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mix of astronomical photos and splashy, spread-filling painted star fields illustrate this double-stranded account of the universe's likely origin. DeCristofano alternates informal explanations with lines of an alphabetical poem, taking our universe from \"An astronomical Big Bang\/ Changed the crunched-up universe, causing the current cosmos\" to \"Yet the universe remains zipped up.\/ Will it ever reveal its ways?\" simplifying basic concepts—describing the formation of matter, for instance, but not of space and time along with it—she chronicles each stage of the Big Bang, goes on to a quick history of observational astronomy, and the discovery that the universe is expanding, and then closes with the optimistic thought that we just might unzip those ways, one day. An energetic, animated alternative to Seymour Simon's more matter-of-fact Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNSTA Recommends\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Bang! The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular\u003c\/i\u003e is a marvelous resource for teachers and children in the upper elementary and lower middle grades. The imaginative, colorful, and detailed illustrations make it particularly suitable for a teacher to read aloud, showing pictures along the way. Children will return to re-examine the illustrations and the concepts on their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe origin of the universe is a high level concept that is seldom covered in the middle school years. But the glimpses of far galaxies that have come from Hubble and other instruments have brought these issues into students' imaginations. So the comprehensible manner in which the author deals with high-level conceptual material makes this a valuable resource.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the use of analogies that any child will understand, Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano deals with notions of singularity (packing a hundred Mount Everests, along with some Earths and Suns, into a backpack), the inflationary model (a giant sneeze), the beginning of the existence of matter (tiny hailstones), and expansion (several examples and illustrations of stretching).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author makes it clear that different civilizations have wondered about origin of the universe throughout history, but that today we have the tools needed to investigate the idea scientifically rather than relying entirely on imagination and speculation. Children will learn about the evidence for the Big Bang through an introduction to forms of electromagnetic radiation other than visible light and how astronomers use these in their work. The information is current, featuring Hubble telescope images in addition to Michael Carroll’s stimulating illustrations, and a thorough glossary will provide a bridge toward further research for interested students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-cvr.jpg?17625881528739740321\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-hires.zip?6766797642387626756\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-discussion-guide.pdf?4821054826464600635\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Discussion Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-619-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-169-7 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e 11 x 8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e \/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-06-22T21:53:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-06-22T21:20:01-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Age_Middle Grade","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Science \u0026 Nature"],"price":398,"price_min":398,"price_max":398,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":795,"compare_at_price_min":795,"compare_at_price_max":795,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":3960418049,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"16199","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Big Bang! - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":398,"weight":159,"compare_at_price":795,"inventory_quantity":99,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-57091-619-9","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/big-bang-cover.jpg?v=1586786573"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/big-bang-cover.jpg?v=1586786573","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Big Bang! book cover","id":2449616863311,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.296,"height":463,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/big-bang-cover.jpg?v=1586786573"},"aspect_ratio":1.296,"height":463,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/big-bang-cover.jpg?v=1586786573","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch1\u003eBig Bang!\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Author Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/carolyn-cinami-decristofano\"\u003eCarolyn Cinami DeCristofano\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Michael Carroll\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/michael-carroll\"\u003eMichael Carroll\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEssential science expanding inquisitive minds.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce upon a time, the universe was very, very small. Smaller than a “freckle on a flea.” And then it got bigger. In one instant it got a lot bigger. In this energetic exploration of the Big Bang theory—how the universe began, what happened between then and now, and where it seems to be going—readers young and old will gain an understanding of the way the universe works, and just how very big it is. This is an adventure in physics that defies the confines of thirty-two pages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrilliant illustrations make the universe seem like a fast, furious, and fun frenzy of a party. Bright, kinetic paintings and photos (even some from the Hubble Telescope) convey the endless motion and activity of space and everything in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"A Black Hole is NOT a Hole\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/products\/a-black-hole-is-not-a-hole\"\u003eA Black Hole is NOT a Hole\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"Faraway Worlds\" href=\"http:\/\/www.charlesbridge.com\/products\/faraway-worlds-br-font-size-2-plantets-beyond-our-solar-system-font\"\u003eFaraway Worlds\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-spread.jpg?313908398523878461\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarolyn Cinami DeCristofano, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarolyn DeCristofano is filled with awe every time she peers into a deep, star-filled sky. She lives in Plympton, Massachusetts, with her husband. She has contributed to science exhibits and teacher resources for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Museum of Science (Boston), WGBH (Boston), and NASA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/carolyn-cinami-decristofano\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Carolyn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Carroll, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMichael Carroll is an award-winning astronomical artist whose work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, including \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNational Geographic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOdyssey\u003c\/i\u003e. His paintings have aired on TV’s NOVA and have even flown in space (one was aboard the MIR Space Station). Michael has done paintings for NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Russia’s Institute for Space Research. He lives with his family in Littleton, Colorado.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Michael Carroll\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/michael-carroll\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Michael.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIRA Children's Book Award Notables\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eScience Books \u0026amp; Films\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books for Junior High and High School Readers 2005\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mix of astronomical photos and splashy, spread-filling painted star fields illustrate this double-stranded account of the universe's likely origin. DeCristofano alternates informal explanations with lines of an alphabetical poem, taking our universe from \"An astronomical Big Bang\/ Changed the crunched-up universe, causing the current cosmos\" to \"Yet the universe remains zipped up.\/ Will it ever reveal its ways?\" simplifying basic concepts—describing the formation of matter, for instance, but not of space and time along with it—she chronicles each stage of the Big Bang, goes on to a quick history of observational astronomy, and the discovery that the universe is expanding, and then closes with the optimistic thought that we just might unzip those ways, one day. An energetic, animated alternative to Seymour Simon's more matter-of-fact Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNSTA Recommends\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Bang! The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular\u003c\/i\u003e is a marvelous resource for teachers and children in the upper elementary and lower middle grades. The imaginative, colorful, and detailed illustrations make it particularly suitable for a teacher to read aloud, showing pictures along the way. Children will return to re-examine the illustrations and the concepts on their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe origin of the universe is a high level concept that is seldom covered in the middle school years. But the glimpses of far galaxies that have come from Hubble and other instruments have brought these issues into students' imaginations. So the comprehensible manner in which the author deals with high-level conceptual material makes this a valuable resource.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the use of analogies that any child will understand, Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano deals with notions of singularity (packing a hundred Mount Everests, along with some Earths and Suns, into a backpack), the inflationary model (a giant sneeze), the beginning of the existence of matter (tiny hailstones), and expansion (several examples and illustrations of stretching).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author makes it clear that different civilizations have wondered about origin of the universe throughout history, but that today we have the tools needed to investigate the idea scientifically rather than relying entirely on imagination and speculation. Children will learn about the evidence for the Big Bang through an introduction to forms of electromagnetic radiation other than visible light and how astronomers use these in their work. The information is current, featuring Hubble telescope images in addition to Michael Carroll’s stimulating illustrations, and a thorough glossary will provide a bridge toward further research for interested students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-cvr.jpg?17625881528739740321\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-hires.zip?6766797642387626756\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/big-bang-discussion-guide.pdf?4821054826464600635\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Discussion Guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-619-9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-169-7 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 7–12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e 11 x 8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e \/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Big Bang!

Big Bang!

The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular

By: Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano / Illustrated by: Michael Carroll

Essential science expanding inquisitive minds.

Once upon a time, the universe was very, very small. Smaller than a “freckle on a flea.” And then it got bigger. In one instant it got a lot bigger. In this energetic exploration of the Big Bang theory—how the universe began, what happened between then and now, and where it seems to be going—readers young and old will gain an understanding of the way the universe works, and just how very big it is. This is an adventure in physics that defies the confines of thirty-two pages.

Brilliant illustrations make the universe seem like a fast, furious, and fun frenzy of a party. Bright, kinetic paintings and photos (even some from the Hubble Telescope) convey the endless motion and activity of space and everything in it.

$ 7.95
Maximum quantity available reached.

Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano, author

Carolyn DeCristofano is filled with awe every time she peers into a deep, star-filled sky. She lives in Plympton, Massachusetts, with her husband. She has contributed to science exhibits and teacher resources for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Museum of Science (Boston), WGBH (Boston), and NASA.

Read more about Carolyn.


Michael Carroll, illustrator

Michael Carroll is an award-winning astronomical artist whose work has been featured in hundreds of magazines, including Time, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Odyssey. His paintings have aired on TV’s NOVA and have even flown in space (one was aboard the MIR Space Station). Michael has done paintings for NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Russia’s Institute for Space Research. He lives with his family in Littleton, Colorado.

Read more about Michael.

  • IRA Children's Book Award Notables
  • Science Books & Films Best Books for Junior High and High School Readers 2005

Kirkus Reviews

A mix of astronomical photos and splashy, spread-filling painted star fields illustrate this double-stranded account of the universe's likely origin. DeCristofano alternates informal explanations with lines of an alphabetical poem, taking our universe from "An astronomical Big Bang/ Changed the crunched-up universe, causing the current cosmos" to "Yet the universe remains zipped up./ Will it ever reveal its ways?" simplifying basic concepts—describing the formation of matter, for instance, but not of space and time along with it—she chronicles each stage of the Big Bang, goes on to a quick history of observational astronomy, and the discovery that the universe is expanding, and then closes with the optimistic thought that we just might unzip those ways, one day. An energetic, animated alternative to Seymour Simon's more matter-of-fact Universe.

NSTA Recommends

Big Bang! The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular is a marvelous resource for teachers and children in the upper elementary and lower middle grades. The imaginative, colorful, and detailed illustrations make it particularly suitable for a teacher to read aloud, showing pictures along the way. Children will return to re-examine the illustrations and the concepts on their own.

The origin of the universe is a high level concept that is seldom covered in the middle school years. But the glimpses of far galaxies that have come from Hubble and other instruments have brought these issues into students' imaginations. So the comprehensible manner in which the author deals with high-level conceptual material makes this a valuable resource.

With the use of analogies that any child will understand, Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano deals with notions of singularity (packing a hundred Mount Everests, along with some Earths and Suns, into a backpack), the inflationary model (a giant sneeze), the beginning of the existence of matter (tiny hailstones), and expansion (several examples and illustrations of stretching).

The author makes it clear that different civilizations have wondered about origin of the universe throughout history, but that today we have the tools needed to investigate the idea scientifically rather than relying entirely on imagination and speculation. Children will learn about the evidence for the Big Bang through an introduction to forms of electromagnetic radiation other than visible light and how astronomers use these in their work. The information is current, featuring Hubble telescope images in addition to Michael Carroll’s stimulating illustrations, and a thorough glossary will provide a bridge toward further research for interested students.

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-619-9

E-book PDF
ISBN: 978-1-60734-169-7

Ages: 7–12
Page count: 32
11 x 8 1 /2