As a little boy paddles in a pond, he discovers the jelly-like eggs of a frog. He wonders, ‘If frogs come from eggs, and eggs come from frogs, where did the first frog come from?’ A big question indeed.

We need to head all the way back to the beginning. ‘When everything that is, was, and ever will be was squashed together in a superheated speck too tiny to imagine.’ As the speck began to expand it exploded in a BIG BANG and became a universe. It was a size you could hold in your hand. ‘It fizzed with energy.’ But there were no frogs yet.

The universe began to cool, and atoms were born. Atoms crashed together making even bigger atoms, stars were ignited and exploded, sending atoms scattering across the universe.

Eight billion years later stardust formed our sun, and gravity began to gather gas and dust to create planets. One positioned planet was perfect for life, our beautiful blue Earth. But there were no frogs yet.

The book goes on to show us how life began. ‘A hot soup of chemicals’ rearranging themselves until the first cell was created and replicated. Animals were created from these cells. They adapted, changed and rearranged. Amphibians becoming the ancestor of every animal with four limbs.

Isabel Thomas cleverly tells this story of everything, breaking down complexity into perfect simplicity. The illustrations are essential in telling the story and quite beautiful. School library, home library, add it to both.

Reviewed by Emily Ross

Age Guide 6+

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hello! I’m Isabel Thomas, a science writer and children’s author. I’ve written more than 280 books about science and nature for young audiences, which have been translated into more than 25 languages. I also write features for publications like The Week Junior Science+Nature, the Guardian and The Bookseller, and create resources and events for outreach projects, inspiring children from diverse backgrounds to pursue education and careers in science and the arts.

Most of all, I love speaking to live audiences about science and the arts – from packed theatre shows at festivals around the world, to focused and inclusive school workshops. I’ve even appeared twice on BBC Women’s Hour from a duvet-tent in my living room!

Visit the Isabel Thomas’ website

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Born in Sweden, Daniel Egneus has spent time in Prague, London, Berlin, Bologna, Rome, Milano and has made Athens, Greece his base.

The children’s book The Thing written by Simon Puttock and illustrated by Egneus was voted by The Guardian as one of the 50 best-illustrated books 2016. A regular collaborator with the National Theatre in Greece for whom he produced illustrated theatre programs as well as the posters and the animated spots with director Mario Greco for Athens Festival and animations for The National Opera in Athens, Greece.