Just So Stories

 A Cosmic Guide to the Building Blocks of our Universe

Illustrations by Aidan Ryan

Thames & Hudson

June 2025

ISBN: 9781760763138

RRP: $26.99

It has to be said – I am the least scientifically-minded person I know. It’s not that I disdain science, or am one of those people from a large country across the world who think science is just a pack of nonsense [you know who I mean!]. It’s just while there are some aspects of the discipline I am interested in such as nature or everyday science (cooking!) and I certainly like to look at the stars and adore the moon, my tiny brain finds it hard to contemplate the infinite mysteries of the universe and beyond, and other such deep thinking.

But there are plenty of kiddos who eat this stuff up. Both boys and girls in my experience have a great fascination with the cosmos and all it contains, from the tiny particles like leptons, quarks and bosons to antimatter to gravitational lensing. And this nifty book with it’s straightforward but engaging text and the sensational cartoon style illos will be a big hit with many.

Although I am such a scientific dead zone [does that make me a black hole?], I have facilitated plenty of interest groups both after school and in break times that capitalised on the interest so many kiddos have in this stuff, often integrating it into our STEM activities. Just seeing those kids get excited about all things science convinces me that this will be a massive hit with your own cohort.

It’s pretty apt to review this in Science Week and I’m giving it a 5 ⭐🌑☀️☄️🌌 rating for interested geeky kids from around year 3 upwards.