It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Unlocking the Universe

Unlocking the Universe

Summary

Discover the universe in a nutshell, with chapters on everything from the creation of the universe to time travel to the future of humanity, all in an easy-to-read, illustrated package.


Have you ever wondered how our universe began?

Or what it takes to put humans on the moon?

Do you know what happens in the microscopic world of a life-saving vaccine?

What would you do if you could travel through space and time?


Embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this beautiful collection of up-to-the-minute essays, mind-blowing facts and out-of-this-world colour photographs, by the world's leading scientists including Professor Stephen Hawking himself.


This unmissable volume was curated by Stephen and Lucy Hawking, whose George series of children's books was a global hit. The series is punctuated with fascinating real-life facts and insights from leading scientists.


Now this incredible non-fiction has been collected into one bumper volume, with new content from key scientific figures and up-to-the-minute facts and figures for readers young and old.


The ideal book for curious young readers everywhere.


READERS LOVE UNLOCKING THE UNIVERSE:


"Despite its scientific content the essays are written in a very accessible style and the many topics investigated which range from the physical explanations of the universe to earth science to robotics and future predictions. Highly recommended for curious minds from around 10 years upwards" - Sue Warren, Blogger


"My 9 y.o. loves this book. We've previously discussed a lot of the concepts, but this seems to answer questions I hadn't thought of, but my son wanted to know"


"A glorious scientific gaze at our world, and the universe beyond in a fact-filled volume that will keep curious kids occupied for ages" - ReadItDaddy blog


"An excellent book that will do wonders to raise enthusiasm for science among young and old readers alike" - Jonali Karmakar, Blogger

Reviews

  • A glorious scientific gaze at our world, and the universe beyond in a fact-filled volume that will keep curious kids occupied for ages
    ReadItDaddy

About the authors

Stephen Hawking

STEPHEN HAWKING was a brilliant theoretical physicist and is generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. He held the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for thirty years and is the author of A Brief History of Time which was an international bestseller. His other books for the general reader include A Briefer History of Time, the essay collection Black Holes and Baby Universe, The Universe in a Nutshell, The Grand Design, and Black Holes: The BBC Reith Lectures.
He died on 14 March, 2018.
Learn More

Lucy Hawking

LUCY HAWKING is a children's writer, the co-creator of non-fiction compendium Unlocking the Universe and the George fiction series, with her father Stephen Hawking. Lucy is a former journalist, having written widely for British newspapers, and she gives regular talks about science and stories to audiences all over the world.
Learn More

Sign up to the Puffin newsletter

Stories, ideas and giveaways to help you spark young imaginations