A Universe Big & Small: A Story About Carl Sagan

Portraying a young Carl Sagan (1934–1996) with bright, intensely focused eyes, a tilted head, and his signature turtleneck, Yang (Charles & Ray) imagines the future astronomer and scientist contemplating two contrasting realms of wonder: the infinitesimal and the infinite. First, Sagan muses on what it would be like to observe the most elemental matter, marveling as he imagines himself smaller and smaller until atoms combine into cells around him. “If everything is made of cells, then everything is connected,” he thinks—underlining the interconnectedness that would become central to his real-life worldview. The figure next contemplates growing larger and larger, then investigates cosmic vastness aboard the spaceship Imagination while traveling through celestial spreads rendered in vibrant hues. In an accessible work loosely inspired by Sagan, economical text (“A nebula is a cloud in space that’s made of gas and dust. That is where stars are born”) pairs with blocky artwork to hint that exploring the universe begins and ends with questions. A creator’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (July)