A Universe Big & Small: A Story About Carl Sagan

by James Yang, James Yang (Illustrator)

Overview

Geisel Award–winning creator James Yang explores the mysteries of the universe, inspired by the work of lauded astronomer Carl Sagan.

When Carl stared out the window, he had many questions.

Astronomer and scientist Carl Sagan loved asking questions—he wanted to learn about everything from the smallest atoms to the vastness of the galaxy. And by using his imagination and allowing himself to dream up questions big and small, he inspired others to keep exploring the mysteries of the universe and our place in it.

Geisel Award-winning author and illustrator James Yang invites readers on a fantastic journey through the cosmos, inspired by the life and work of Carl Sagan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593693094
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/01/2025
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

James Yang is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed picture books, including A Boy Named Isamu, which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor, and Stop! Bot!, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. His work has appeared in publications like Graphis, Newsweek, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. You might have seen some of his art in many of New York City’s subway cars! He lives in Brooklyn.

You can visit him at JamesYang.com or follow him on Instagram @YangBlog.

Editorial Reviews

"Young Carl stands in for every child who's ever asked big questions and considered how to answer them. The first step, as Yang makes beautifully clear, is always imagination. A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder." —Kirkus Reviews

"In an accessible work loosely inspired by Sagan, economical text pairs with blocky artwork to hint that exploring the universe begins and ends with questions." —Publishers Weekly

"A whimsical tale that shares the pleasure of curiosity." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2025-03-22
A young Carl Sagan ponders the mysteries of the universe.

What was the astronomer and host of the television seriesCosmos like as a boy? He began by asking questions. As young Carl fantasizes about what it would be like to be smaller, Yang depicts a block-shaped child dwindling in size “until he [can] visit atoms floating around him.” The tiny Carl looks up at big bold red and blue molecules, observes atoms creating cells, and concludes, “If every living thing is made of cells, then everything is connected.” Then Carl mulls what would happen if he could grow bigger “and visit the stars. Stars [are] made of atoms, too.” Yang lines up Carl’s big, round face alongside planets, illustrating the vastness of his imagination. This point becomes literal when Carl figures out that he needs “something special…to answer his questions”: a spaceship namedImagination. The ship launches a journey to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (and Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons), each a vivid world of geometric shapes and swirls. Yang frames the story with illustrations depicting Carl daydreaming as he gazes out of his backlit apartment window on a starry night filled with deep shades of blue. Young Carl stands in for every child who’s ever asked big questions and considered how to answer them. The first step, as Yang makes beautifully clear, is always imagination.

A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder. (author’s note)(Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews