Our World Is Relative

“What is big? What is small? What is moving? What is not?... It can seem like we live in a world where things are what they are.... But our world is relative: almost everything exists in relation to something else.” In this child-friendly exploration of Einstein’s theory of relativity, a child contemplates the world from differing perspectives. Easily decipherable measurements of speed, distance, and direction delineate the spreads, which aptly demonstrate Sooy’s narrative: a close-up of what seems like a giant child examining a one-inch worm on the pavement zooms out upon the next page turn, revealing her own 38-inch minuteness in relation to the 450-plus-inch homes in the neighborhood. The narrative is well paced and Walsh’s illustrations, pleasing, with plenty of arrows and juxtapositions indicating the relative—curious young minds will enjoy following the shifting angles and viewpoints. A fascinating, bite-size introduction to a classic law of math and science. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)