We, the Curious Ones

Praise

Glittering with stars and pulsing with color and light, photographed dioramas constructed by married team Hari & Deepti convey a sense of limitless space. . . The collaborators bring sweep and majesty to the concept of paradigmatic change, communicating the challenge and excitement in revolutionary new ways of thinking and telling.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The gorgeous, dreamy, watercolorlike artwork—paper dioramas backlit and photographed—provides a celestial vibe to the background. . . An aesthetically beautiful book.
—Kirkus Reviews

Written in beautiful lyrical poetry, award-winning author Bauer presents a tale of human endeavor and history. . . . Students will be encouraged to look at stories with new eyes, ask questions, and engage in thoughtful discussion that promotes higher level thinking skills. . . . A book of poems that asks philosophical questions to provoke thought, encourage curiosity, and inspire young readers with a new appreciation and understanding about the world around them.
—School Library Journal

In this companion to her Coretta Scott King Award–winning The Stuff of Stars (2018), Bauer considers the intersection of science and story. . . . The cerebral, deceptively simple picture book for readers of all ages continues with beliefs about the earth, the sun, and the expanding universe; how these beliefs evolved over time; and how people continue to question them. . . ethereal.
—Booklist

A provocative exploration of human existence is skillfully captured in Bauer’s quiet but firm text, compelling readers forward and sparking appropriate curiosity while recognizing the flaws in any sense of certainty. . . . Ethereal illustrations are a unique blend of hand cut paper dioramas backlit and photographed; they feel pensive but dynamic, with silhouettes of humans and animals dwarfed by a sky swirling with celestial features in soft hues.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

With beautiful words and art, We, the Curious Ones pulls us into the endless loop of studying the worlds around us, telling stories about what we’ve seen, and asking the provocative questions that lead to further studies and further stories. It is a book to savor with your young ones, helping them appreciate that we scientists, whether paid or not, thrive on the curiosity that drives our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
—Lawrence Rudnick, professor emeritus, University of Minnesota School of Physics and Astronomy