A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars

Reviewed by: Terri Bauld - Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, Kennebunkport, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 7, 2018

Review

Readers are told a secret right from page one. The sun is just a star. One of approximately a hundred billion trillion stars. This is just the start of a story that is full of mind bending numbers and fascinating comparisons using numbers. Numbers so large that readers will be grateful that the numbers are spelled out on each page so that they are correctly read. Interesting facts abound such as the fact that all the people on the earth weight about the same as all the ants on on our planet. Numbers of people (seven billion five million), number of ants (ten quadrillion ants). Or that the reader will be a year older in thirty-one million five hundred thirty-six thousand seconds! The digital illustrations are bold and quirky set off against dark pages. The characters in the story are made up a wide range of ethnic groups and are engaged in a variety of activities such as jumping on a trampoline to being lined up head to foot around the earth. The author's note explains how he came up with his numbers and how important estimation and trying to make sense of things that at first seem like they can't be figured out. He also stresses that what is really important is to realize that large numbers are around us and are everywhere linking everything together. An interesting book that would enrich any math or science program and would get help get readers to look at the planet in a different light.

Overall Book Score: very good