How to Bake a Universe

Gr 1-3–Maybe creating a universe is just as simple as following a recipe. In this picture book explanation of the Big Bang Theory, readers learn what it takes to “bake” a universe, starting with “nothing.” Using step-by-step instructions, Carvlin tells the temperature readers need for their oven (Absolute Hot) and will be given approximate timetables for when to check their universe and what to look for. Recommendations for additional equipment, including sunglasses, are also provided. If lucky, within 13.6 billion years, their universes will be ready. For a volume targeted at younger readers, this explanation is more confusing than helpful. Terms such as quark, atom, and gravity are either introduced with no definition, or context clues that only provide partial meaning. Definitions and an extensive explanation of the Big Bang Theory are presented in the back matter, but not within the text itself. Readers will enjoy the cheerful and often funny illustrations, but may get wrapped up in the baking analogy and miss the whole point.