The Story of Everything: The Story of You!

In a vibrant picture book that begins with the big bang, Newhouse and Cosgrove present deep time as offering a strengthening sense of oneness with the universe. Omniscient narration proceeds chronologically, yoking a child’s individual development to a broader narrative of evolutionary milestones (“Long before you grew cell by cell.../ continents formed”). Additional lines offer further links, for example connecting the youth’s first steps with the arrival of amphibians on land. Digital renderings that resemble chalky rubbings comfortably mingle prehistoric scenes and contemporary renderings of a child and caretaker. After an asteroid presents a chance for life’s renewal, narration barrels forward toward the present, connectively twining “the story of everything” with “the story of you.” Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Includes a contextualizing note and timeline. Ages 4–8. (May)