Exploring the Universe: A Complete Guide to the Cosmos

by Isabel Thomas, Sara Gillingham (Artist)

Genres: Science, Space

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2025

Reviews

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gorgeous entry in Phaidon’s collection of eye-catching compendiums, designed to match the look, size, and organization of 2 early installments (also by Thomas and Gillingham): Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table (2020) and Full of Life: Exploring Earth’s Biodiversity (2022). Here the subject is heavenly objects and the team has employed the same strategies that made the other books so engaging, including an opening essay orienting us to the vastness of space and a guide on how to navigate the book’s consistent graphics. Thomas starts with the closer, most observable objects, such as near-Earth space and our solar system, before branching out to explore other galaxies and the universe. Four types of entries appear repeatedly throughout the book, covering objects and structures, exploration, natural phenomena and ideas, and technology. For example, for Mercury, an opening page provides all the planet's descriptive information: its category, age, size, temperature, etc., while on subsequent pages we learn about robotic landers (technology) and a history of its human investigations (exploration). The pages of close-packed information are made engaging through the judicious use of color and the imposition of neat, dark grid lines (echoing the blackness of space) to segment blocks of text. A final chapter, “Astronomical Data and Other Resources”, presents a series of graphics and charts to help us conceptualize the age of the universe, compare cosmic temperatures, contrast the plants within our solar system, and count the increasing number of artificial satellites in orbit around Earth (among other concepts). Back matter includes a comprehensive glossary, further resources, and an index.

Exploring the Universe really takes advantage of its “bookiness”. Sure, readers from upper elementary students to adult patrons could find this information piecemeal online or in various print resources. But with its thoughtful design and compelling text, this is a book readers will return to again and again, dipping into it to answer something specific but then staying to read more about reusable spacecraft, red giants, or Jupiter’s moons. It would also be a great addition to science classroom libraries for students to browse during free time. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...