"For readers too young for Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry, this whimsical and well-founded picture book takes a leaf from a cookbook to show readers how the universe came into being. To bake a universe, you'll need a heaping pile of nothing. That's right, not a single thing! Just make sure you have enough. When you are happy with your amount of nothing, gather it all up and pop it on a baking tray. Alec Carvlin's breaks down the Big Bang into the bite-size steps of a recipe, from the formation of quarks and atoms (preheat your oven to Absolute Hot) to the compression of gases into stars and planets (just set your timer for 180 million years). Carvlin expertly balances mind-boggling facts with his snappy storytelling, and Brian Biggs's bold and contagiously cheerful illustrations bring the book to life. How to Bake a Universe is an accessible and playful authority on the formation of the universe and a heartfelt commentary on how to live in it"--