Child of the Universe by Ray Jayawardhana

What I Loved:

The illustrations in Child of the Universe were absolutely beautiful. My daughter was captivated and requested multiple times that we go back a page so she could look a little more. The illustrator, Raúl Colón, did an excellent job of matching the story to his artwork. It was lovely!

How I Felt:

The focus of this story is on how we, as humans, are all a part of the universe. Our bodies are made up of atoms and stardust. We are all connected, and we are special.

As the father in the book tells his daughter this bedtime story, as the reader, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how true this story is. I liked that the story used a rhyming verse, as my children enjoy that, and if done well, I enjoy it too (and it was done well in Child of the Universe. I loved how the story speaks to how small, yet so important each and every one of us are.

Overall, Child of the Universe was a beautifully illustrated book with a lovely bedtime story.

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend Child of the Universe to pre-k to middle-elementary readers. This book is meant to be read to a young child, I would not recommend this for a child to read on their own. Finally, if you have a child that is particularly interested in the universe or space, they would love this book.

Where to Find This Book:

Child of the Universe by Ray Jayawardhana is available at these sites.

Bookshop.org | Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Goodreads

Just like the sun gives shine to the moon,
you light up the world beyond this room . . .
You are grand and marvelous, strong and mysterious.
The history of the world is in your fingertips.

A meditation on the preciousness of one child and the vastness of the universe, this picture book shares the measure of a parent’s love along with the message that we are all connected to the broader cosmos.

Just the Facts: