The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey, written and illustrated by Jason Chin. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House, 2022. $24.99 ages 9 and up

"Cells are like tiny water balloons. They have an 
outer membrane that surrounds a jelly-like substance
called cytoplasm. Suspended in the cytoplasm is the 
round cell nucleus, which is about 8 microns across. 
That's so small that more than 7,000 could fit on the 
period at the end of this sentence."

I stand, with many others, in awe of Jason Chin and his artistic ability and the information he shares. In this companion to the equally brilliant Your Place in the Universe (2020), he asks his readers to look inwardly to the microscopic elements that make up the human body. 

He begins by introducing the Calliope Hummingbird, at 8 cm long, is the smallest bird in the USA. It is small enough to fit in a young girl's hand. Compared to that, a Western Pygmy Blue butterfly is much smaller ... with a 1.2 cm wingspan. It's 'smaller than a penny'. How small is the smallest bee? The Perdita Minima is less than 2 mm long. To ensure young readers understand the size differences, Mr. Chin uses a measurement drawn to scale at the bottom of the spread. Quite the amazing discovery concerning perspective. 

Only then does he make the move to the human body, taking readers to note vellus hairs (almost impossible to see), then skin cells, nuclear pores, DNA, atoms, protons, and finally, elementary particles. Following that, he turns the tables and moves back out to how these essentials lead back to 'life itself.' 

Young children will see the action move from the hummingbird to ever-smaller elements and then make the return journey through the magnificent illustrations. Older kids will follow the included notes in smaller font that further explain what is happening on each double-page spread. For those kids (you know them!) who want even more than they have already been given, 4 pages of extensive back matter adds further important learning. 

The detail in the art is quite mind-boggling, while also providing a realistic way for those who share this book to actually see what might seem impossible. 

WOW! Just, wow! 

“You are made of the same stuff as everything else in the universe... a singular person, who can think and feel and discover... the universe within.”