Once Upon a Star: A Poetic Journey Through Space

Everyone is doing it. The renaissance in information books continues. Here James Carter takes on the origin of our universe for an Early Years readership. Gone are the glossy photographs and the one line comment. Instead, Carter presents the information as a story told in an attractive rhyming text that speaks directly and imaginatively to its young audience. But the story is firmly rooted in the facts – and the neat resumé at the end ensures that there is no mistake about this. The text is presented in an attractive large font that on occasion swirls and bursts off the page adding to the underlying excitement of the science. This is only part of the whole. Creating a rich visual environment are the immersive illustrations by Mar Hernandez. As befits the subject she fills each double spread with rich, saturated colours from the dark before the Big Bang to the creation of stars and planets beautifully imagined in paint. There is no need for the addition of foil or silver glitter; the paint with its own texture and depth is all that is required to draw the reader in and send the mind across time and space. Indeed from the moment the book is opened, the reader is surrounded by the stars. And we leave with a reminder that we all are stars. An enjoyable, informative and affirmative addition to any child’s bookshelf.