You Are Here
By Lisha Cauthen Illustrated by Martyna Mejman
The Little Fig 2022
Hardcover, 36 Page Picture book, Ages 5-9
On a just-right planet spinning around a solar system twirling in the arm of a galaxy rocketing through the universe… You Are Here! ~ from the dust jacket book flap
This book begins with YOU ARE HERE, inside a bedroom belonging to a child and describes the just-right planet we live on. As you turn the page you’re now outside the house and the text is describing the liquid water, oxygen and mild temperatures our planet has. Turning the page once again, you’re now getting a description of what the moon is made of and where it came from. So goes the entire book as you expand out into the universe and learn about the planets, the sun, asteroids, comets, the Milky Way and more! And all the while the You Are Here sign gets smaller and smaller but never disappears.
Wow, did I learn a LOT about space. I really appreciate kids books that have something to offer for everyone reading. This book explains what things in space are, what they’re made of and how it all works using language simple enough for kids to understand and interesting enough for adults to want to read as well. I was captivated by how small our earth looked, with the You Are Here sign getting smaller and smaller as we continue deeper into space. I had no idea that there’s an asteroid named Misterrogers and another named Pinocchio!! Nor did I know that Mars is covered in rust dust, Neptune is the farthest from the sun, and that Venus has a greenhouse atmosphere and is the hottest planet! The back matter in this book describes what we cannot see and is well researched with an impressive Bibliography. This book fascinates and educates!
You Are Here by Lisha Cauthen gets 5 stars from this reviewer.