David J Smith has done just that in If. This picture book-format, concise encyclopedia on the wherewithals of space and everything, presents the 'bigness' of our world (and beyond) in comparative ways that will make you wonder.
If, for example, the Milky Way galaxy was shrunk to the size of a dinner plate, our entire solar system would be smaller than a poppy seed. That's some size-realisation.
If we shrunk Earth to the size of a baseball, Jupiter would be the size of a yoga ball. Cool!
If we could compress the last 3.5 billion years on earth into one hour, modern humans would have showed up in the last .02 of a second. Love it!
If a jaded soul like me can get that excited about this glorious way of looking things, imagine what these concepts would do to an eight-year-old. Concepts include inventions, geography, money, energy, life expectancy (represented by a rather sobering set of footprints along a sandy beach), population, food and much more.
Perfect for schools and home-schooling. Or just for curious kids wanting to know some curious stuff.
An author note for parents and teachers rounds out the book.
Title: If ... A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers
Author: David J Smith
Illustrator: Steve Adams
Publisher: New Frontier, $37.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 August 2014
Format: Hard cover
ISBN: 9781894786348
For ages: 8 - 11
Type: Picture Book, Non-Fiction
