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A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars
“This picture book is one in a gazillion.”—Jane O’Connor, the New York Times–bestselling author of the Fancy Nancy series
Did you know that the earth is covered in three trillion trees? And that seven billion people weigh about the same as ten quadrillion ants? Our world is full of constantly changing numbers, from a hundred billion trillion stars in space to thirty-seven billion rabbits on Earth. Can you imagine that many of anything?
The playful illustrations from New York Times–bestselling artist Isabel Greenberg and the friendly, straightforward voice of author Seth Fishman illuminate some of the biggest numbers in the universe—a hundred billion trillion stars—and the smallest—one unique and special YOU. Here is a book for story time, for science time, for math time, for bedtime, and all the times in between.
Perfect for curious children, classrooms eager for STEM content, and readers who have devoured Ada Twist, Scientist and How Much Is a Million?
Did you know that the earth is covered in three trillion trees? And that seven billion people weigh about the same as ten quadrillion ants? Our world is full of constantly changing numbers, from a hundred billion trillion stars in space to thirty-seven billion rabbits on Earth. Can you imagine that many of anything?
The playful illustrations from New York Times–bestselling artist Isabel Greenberg and the friendly, straightforward voice of author Seth Fishman illuminate some of the biggest numbers in the universe—a hundred billion trillion stars—and the smallest—one unique and special YOU. Here is a book for story time, for science time, for math time, for bedtime, and all the times in between.
Perfect for curious children, classrooms eager for STEM content, and readers who have devoured Ada Twist, Scientist and How Much Is a Million?
40 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Seth Fishman
12 books158 followersSeth Fishman is a native of Midland, Texas (think Friday Night Lights), and a graduate of Princeton University and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. He spends his days as a literary agent at The Gernert Company and his nights (and mornings) writing. He lives in LA with his wife and son.
His first picture book (with Isabel Greenberg Illustrating), A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS, won the Mathical Prize, was a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book, and was named a best book of 2017 by Amazon, Space.com and the Planetary Society. His follow up picture book, POWER UP, is out March 19th. He's the author of two YA thrillers, THE WELL'S END and THE DARK WATER.
His first picture book (with Isabel Greenberg Illustrating), A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS, won the Mathical Prize, was a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book, and was named a best book of 2017 by Amazon, Space.com and the Planetary Society. His follow up picture book, POWER UP, is out March 19th. He's the author of two YA thrillers, THE WELL'S END and THE DARK WATER.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
October 29, 2021
My class of Grade 4 "guinea pigs" and I are at it again! This class of students were amazed by the overall concept and were quite enthralled by all the zeroes in several of the numbers portrayed!
Illustrations are simplistic in detail with gray-tinted colors.
A most fun read!
Illustrations are simplistic in detail with gray-tinted colors.
A most fun read!
November 7, 2017
I just love a picture book celebrating the wonder of this universe and our planet. Glowing illustrations.
December 29, 2017
This is such a unique, interesting and fun book. I love all the numbers, the way he puts into perspective the massiveness of the universe and our planet. Each spread is filled with life and movement and wonder. The random facts are fun, and then he brings it back to the reader at the end. The author's note, where he explains how they arrive at estimates and the challenges that arise when trying to calculate such large numbers was also well done and interesting. And I love the anatomy of that billion trillion and all its zeroes.
April 28, 2018
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars is a children's picture book written by Seth Fishman and illustrated by Isabel Greenberg and is about the sheer large numbers around us in our world and universe as a whole.
Fishman's text is very simplistic and straightforward giving wonderful and unique examples of large numbers in our universe and the world around us. It was extremely helpful that for large numbers there is an asterisk – a footnote after the number to direct you to number in word form, so one can read the number correctly. Greenberg's illustrations were wonderfully rendered and compliment the text extremely well.
The premise of the book is really simple it tells us that numbers surrounds us every day – including incredibly large numbers. Fishman starts out with our universe with a humongous number, then quickly scaled down to global examples, then to our everyday example around us, and eventual to one. I adore the examples that Fishman uses, because it brings it down to things that children would know and understand, and then expand their imagination, buy using non-standard units of measurements that children would know.
There are three things that I had objected to. Firstly, it's difficult to conceptualize the sheer number portrayed in the book – I could conceive things in the billions, but beyond that it's difficult. Secondly, is how Fishman name numbers, granted I understand why he did it, because there are two ways of counting large number the short (accepted) and long (antiquated) method, but I prefer he just says the number – instead of a hundred billion trillion, say one hundred sextillion (or one hundred trilliard, which I prefer). Lastly, Fishman uses Imperial System of measurement instead of the scientifically accepted metric system.
Now, I don't know if these measurements are converted in International Editions or at least have a footnote giving the metric measurements, because I got mine form a mate of mine form the United States. So if someone has an international version of this book, could you please tell me if there was a conversion or at least a footnote with the conversion in the book? I would be much obliged – it won't change the rating I gave this book, but it's good to know if that change was made or not.
All in all, A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars is a wonderful children's book of numbers that illuminates some of the biggest numbers in the universe – a hundred billion trillion stars down to the smallest number of one – the child reading the book.
Fishman's text is very simplistic and straightforward giving wonderful and unique examples of large numbers in our universe and the world around us. It was extremely helpful that for large numbers there is an asterisk – a footnote after the number to direct you to number in word form, so one can read the number correctly. Greenberg's illustrations were wonderfully rendered and compliment the text extremely well.
The premise of the book is really simple it tells us that numbers surrounds us every day – including incredibly large numbers. Fishman starts out with our universe with a humongous number, then quickly scaled down to global examples, then to our everyday example around us, and eventual to one. I adore the examples that Fishman uses, because it brings it down to things that children would know and understand, and then expand their imagination, buy using non-standard units of measurements that children would know.
There are three things that I had objected to. Firstly, it's difficult to conceptualize the sheer number portrayed in the book – I could conceive things in the billions, but beyond that it's difficult. Secondly, is how Fishman name numbers, granted I understand why he did it, because there are two ways of counting large number the short (accepted) and long (antiquated) method, but I prefer he just says the number – instead of a hundred billion trillion, say one hundred sextillion (or one hundred trilliard, which I prefer). Lastly, Fishman uses Imperial System of measurement instead of the scientifically accepted metric system.
Now, I don't know if these measurements are converted in International Editions or at least have a footnote giving the metric measurements, because I got mine form a mate of mine form the United States. So if someone has an international version of this book, could you please tell me if there was a conversion or at least a footnote with the conversion in the book? I would be much obliged – it won't change the rating I gave this book, but it's good to know if that change was made or not.
All in all, A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars is a wonderful children's book of numbers that illuminates some of the biggest numbers in the universe – a hundred billion trillion stars down to the smallest number of one – the child reading the book.
January 30, 2020
This picture book is a perfect reminder that "“Space,” it says, “is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”" -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
December 25, 2017
Amazon marked this novel as one of their best children’s books of 2017 so I had to check it out. I liked many of the other books that they had listed in this category and this cover was screaming at me with its bright colors and its fun illustration that I thought I would fall for it too.
The illustrations inside this novel are fantastic. They pop off the page and scream for your attention. They begin with contrasting colors that illustrate the energetic scenes. The bright, bold text then grabs your attention and this text is easy to read and follow.
This book is about numbers, it’s about the world around you and its related numbers. Some of the items that the author talks about are items that I have thought about and some were new ideas that made me think. For example, I have thought about the immensity of the world’s oceans and trees but I have never thought how many gallons of water that might be or how many total trees that would entail. I have thought about the total population of our planet but I never considered how many ants might be living on our planet or how much total weight this might be. This is an interesting book, a book about huge numbers, sometimes numbers so large they are in the million billion range. Before you start to concern yourself with reading all the zero’s in this novel, the author was gracious to his readers and has provided the reader with written text to some of these large numbers so you can say them with dignity. This is a fun, educational, children’s book that I would recommend to children starting around second grade. I think younger children will get bored with all the great information that is included in this novel unless numbers are their thing. The illustrations are definitely a plus for this novel.
The illustrations inside this novel are fantastic. They pop off the page and scream for your attention. They begin with contrasting colors that illustrate the energetic scenes. The bright, bold text then grabs your attention and this text is easy to read and follow.
This book is about numbers, it’s about the world around you and its related numbers. Some of the items that the author talks about are items that I have thought about and some were new ideas that made me think. For example, I have thought about the immensity of the world’s oceans and trees but I have never thought how many gallons of water that might be or how many total trees that would entail. I have thought about the total population of our planet but I never considered how many ants might be living on our planet or how much total weight this might be. This is an interesting book, a book about huge numbers, sometimes numbers so large they are in the million billion range. Before you start to concern yourself with reading all the zero’s in this novel, the author was gracious to his readers and has provided the reader with written text to some of these large numbers so you can say them with dignity. This is a fun, educational, children’s book that I would recommend to children starting around second grade. I think younger children will get bored with all the great information that is included in this novel unless numbers are their thing. The illustrations are definitely a plus for this novel.
September 30, 2017
Seth Fishman makes number sense and estimating so much fun with this terrific picture book!! He begins with the sun, explaining that it's just one star among "(maybe) 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars." And he even helps readers know how to say this crazy number, putting the words "a hundred billion trillion" down in the corner. As he tours the universe and our world, looking at different huge numbers: 10 quadrillion ants may equal 7.5 billion humans in weight (OMG!!!) and, 420 million kids or dogs lined up head to toe would circle the Earth about 10 times (that's 240,000 miles). He keeps bringing examples back to kids, with a particular focus on the kid audience. Terrific, diverse kids and families fill the illustrations. Definitely read the authors note aloud to kids -- it talks about how Fishman estimated these numbers and why estimates are so important. An outstanding math-science book!
October 18, 2017
My favorite comparison made was that the humans in the world (about 7.5 billion) weigh about the same as the ants in the world (about 10 quadrillion). Whoa!
February 10, 2020
Fascinating picture book.
May 26, 2018
Every December the Antietam National Battlefield holds a "Memorial Illumination" in honor of the soldiers who fell during the bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil War. Fought on September 17, 1862, the battle resulted in approximately 23,000 casualties (men listed as killed, wounded, captured or missing) in roughly 12 hours. (The total number killed on both sides is estimated to be 3,650.)
The Illumination features 23,000 candles - one for each casualty. Many volunteers light the candles at dark, and then cars are admitted for a driving tour that is close to 5 miles long. It is eye-opening to see just how many candles and miles it takes to show how much "23,000" is.
Imagine, then, trying to relate to the “big, enormous, gigantic, humongous, incredible numbers” that fill the world, as the author of this book describes them. There are around a hundred billion trillion stars in the universe. (That’s a "1" with 24 zeros after it. See how that number was calculated here.)
The planet earth, the author tells us, is covered by three hundred seventy billion billion gallons of water. There are three trillion trees providing its green color from space.
He also tells you how many people there are on earth, and even how many ants. How many pounds does the earth weigh? He fills you in, and it’s a very big number! How many breaths do you take in a year? How many steps does the average person walk in a lifetime? How many rabbits are there in the world? (spoiler alert: a lot!)
He ends by pointing out that in spite of the gazillions of, well, everything, all around us, “There’s only one of YOU. Right here, right now, reading this book.”
The illustrations by Isabel Greenberg, featuring vivid colors and lots of action, are adorable. (She writes that she “goes through 57 paintbrushes in a year and draws for 6 hours a day with 4 to 5 cups of tea to keep her going.”)
Discussion: I didn’t feel like the author imparted a sense of just how many items make up these huge numbers; their enormity is hard to grasp, as is their relationship to one another. But this is not a problem restricted to children. Even our government leaders don’t seem to grasp the difference, for example, between a billion and a trillion when debating the national debt. (This site offers visualizations of the U.S. debt, as well as other helpful economic graphics.) Adding some zeroes doesn't convey the nature of the way the numbers increase. It can be illustrated somewhat with this example of the time scale:
• A million seconds is 12 days.
• A billion seconds is 31 years.
• A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.
Visualizations help enormously, which is why the yearly exhibit at Antietam is so effective. There is also wonderfully informative and award-winning video that helps show the difference in numbers in the enormity of losses in WWII, here.
Including comparable graphics for kids would have added “immeasurably” [pun intended] to this book.
Evaluation: This is a charming book full of fun facts, but you may want to supplement the message of the book with online visualizations showing how “large” large numbers really are.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Illumination features 23,000 candles - one for each casualty. Many volunteers light the candles at dark, and then cars are admitted for a driving tour that is close to 5 miles long. It is eye-opening to see just how many candles and miles it takes to show how much "23,000" is.
Imagine, then, trying to relate to the “big, enormous, gigantic, humongous, incredible numbers” that fill the world, as the author of this book describes them. There are around a hundred billion trillion stars in the universe. (That’s a "1" with 24 zeros after it. See how that number was calculated here.)
The planet earth, the author tells us, is covered by three hundred seventy billion billion gallons of water. There are three trillion trees providing its green color from space.
He also tells you how many people there are on earth, and even how many ants. How many pounds does the earth weigh? He fills you in, and it’s a very big number! How many breaths do you take in a year? How many steps does the average person walk in a lifetime? How many rabbits are there in the world? (spoiler alert: a lot!)
He ends by pointing out that in spite of the gazillions of, well, everything, all around us, “There’s only one of YOU. Right here, right now, reading this book.”
The illustrations by Isabel Greenberg, featuring vivid colors and lots of action, are adorable. (She writes that she “goes through 57 paintbrushes in a year and draws for 6 hours a day with 4 to 5 cups of tea to keep her going.”)
Discussion: I didn’t feel like the author imparted a sense of just how many items make up these huge numbers; their enormity is hard to grasp, as is their relationship to one another. But this is not a problem restricted to children. Even our government leaders don’t seem to grasp the difference, for example, between a billion and a trillion when debating the national debt. (This site offers visualizations of the U.S. debt, as well as other helpful economic graphics.) Adding some zeroes doesn't convey the nature of the way the numbers increase. It can be illustrated somewhat with this example of the time scale:
• A million seconds is 12 days.
• A billion seconds is 31 years.
• A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.
Visualizations help enormously, which is why the yearly exhibit at Antietam is so effective. There is also wonderfully informative and award-winning video that helps show the difference in numbers in the enormity of losses in WWII, here.
Including comparable graphics for kids would have added “immeasurably” [pun intended] to this book.
Evaluation: This is a charming book full of fun facts, but you may want to supplement the message of the book with online visualizations showing how “large” large numbers really are.
Rating: 3.5/5
April 10, 2025
Have you ever wondered just how big the universe really is? A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars is a fascinating nonfiction picture book that explores mind-blowing numbers in the world around us—from the countless stars in the sky to the trillions of cells in our bodies. With engaging language and stunning illustrations, the book helps young readers grasp the enormity of the universe while making big numbers feel fun and exciting.
The major themes in this book are curiosity and wonder. It encourages readers to think about the vastness of space and the incredible complexity of the world we live in. Another important theme is scientific exploration, as the book introduces real facts and concepts in a way that makes learning feel magical.
The main genre of this book is informational nonfiction.
Through reading this book, I learned that numbers are everywhere, from the tiniest atoms to the endless stars in space. Children reading this book could learn about scale, estimation, and the importance of asking questions about the world.
This book was a WOW book for me because of how it makes huge, abstract concepts feel accessible and exciting. It turns complex ideas into something kids can marvel at, sparking curiosity about science and math. I am also slightly biased because I am a huge space nerd and hope to instill that interest in some of my students.
Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were imagery and personification. The vivid descriptions help readers picture enormous numbers in fun, relatable ways—like imagining a hundred billion trillion stars twinkling above us. The author also uses personification, making numbers feel alive and full of wonder, which helps keep young readers engaged.
I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it presents science as something accessible and exciting for all children. By encouraging curiosity and exploration, it promotes a love of learning that is inclusive and universal.
The major themes in this book are curiosity and wonder. It encourages readers to think about the vastness of space and the incredible complexity of the world we live in. Another important theme is scientific exploration, as the book introduces real facts and concepts in a way that makes learning feel magical.
The main genre of this book is informational nonfiction.
Through reading this book, I learned that numbers are everywhere, from the tiniest atoms to the endless stars in space. Children reading this book could learn about scale, estimation, and the importance of asking questions about the world.
This book was a WOW book for me because of how it makes huge, abstract concepts feel accessible and exciting. It turns complex ideas into something kids can marvel at, sparking curiosity about science and math. I am also slightly biased because I am a huge space nerd and hope to instill that interest in some of my students.
Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were imagery and personification. The vivid descriptions help readers picture enormous numbers in fun, relatable ways—like imagining a hundred billion trillion stars twinkling above us. The author also uses personification, making numbers feel alive and full of wonder, which helps keep young readers engaged.
I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it presents science as something accessible and exciting for all children. By encouraging curiosity and exploration, it promotes a love of learning that is inclusive and universal.
June 11, 2018
One of our new favorites, A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars! Not only does this book give you tons of great information about stars, space and Earth but it’s an amazing book to talk about those huge, challenging numbers! We originally picked this one up due to the topic of space but fell in love with counting the zeros in various numbers. My 4 year old loves reading this one and he has been talking about numbers since we read it the first time. Thankfully Seth put each of the numbers in words on the bottom of the page so those of us who still need to count the zeros to figure out the number can read them easily! He also has a helpful guide to show how to break down a number at the back of the book. The illustrations are beautiful and show the diversity of our world, which makes the book even more amazing! Don’t forget to read the authors note; it’s funny and interesting!
January 11, 2018
"The whole world is filled with big, enormous, gigantic, humongous, incredible numbers." What a ton of fun. The playful art does a pretty good job of illustrating what the text is getting at, considering it's impossible to actually illustrate all three trillion trees, for example. And a neat choice to print the numeral within the text ("2,500,000") and the name for it ("two million five hundred thousand") at the bottom of the page.
August 20, 2021
I love math trade books. When 3rd and 4th grade are going over place value, what a book to show and read. This is really a book about numbers. For example, "there are about 1, 620 trillion raindrops in an average thunderstorm." "You might eat up to 70 pounds or bugs or more, in an average lifetime."
It explains how many of the numbers have already changed in the book.
It explains how many of the numbers have already changed in the book.
January 6, 2018
The best thing about my husband having grandchildren is that with two visiting later this month
I can embibe in buying and reading children’s books to them!
I can embibe in buying and reading children’s books to them!
February 22, 2018
A funny and informative book about very large numbers.
April 20, 2019
Interesting concept. It gives some idea of really large numbers without being too overwhelming.
June 10, 2019
Manages to take big concepts and make them manageable. This is able to teach about astronomy, math, and the uniqueness of each human being, all at the same time. Really cool.
August 8, 2019
Great read aloud for kids learning about space. A lot of fun and very enjoyable. It also teaches what it intends to teach, that space is really really big!
February 25, 2022
Nice book that makes you feel special for a moment. Colorful art, lots of interesting figures.
May 23, 2025
Didn’t make me cry.
February 24, 2018
So many numbers! I love how the giant numbers are written out so we know how to say them. Great art! Fun presentation of all the huge numbers. Really like this book!
February 28, 2018
I really liked this! I think it'd great for a curious questioning kid. I liked the author's note's explanation of estimates, although I imagine it might not satisfy a kid who wants to know EVERYTHING. But some things are unknowable! Still, this seems like a great introduction to the natural world and some scientific concepts. I also liked the art.
I really really like that each page has the numbers spelled out in words - if I was reading this aloud, I know i'd get tripped up on some of them, so that's really helpful. I can't really see myself using this as a read aloud, but I'm sure I'll recommend it.
I really really like that each page has the numbers spelled out in words - if I was reading this aloud, I know i'd get tripped up on some of them, so that's really helpful. I can't really see myself using this as a read aloud, but I'm sure I'll recommend it.
November 22, 2017
A fantastic book introducing the concept of ginormous numbers to kiddos that thankfully includes HOW to say each of these huge numbers at the bottom of the page for parents reading aloud. The illustrations are also as gorgeous and diverse as the concepts presented, especially that despite these huge numbers there is only ONE you.
Would make a wonderful holiday gift to a young person in your life.
Would make a wonderful holiday gift to a young person in your life.
June 11, 2018
What a fun way to incorporate numbers into a captivating story. I loved all the factual information and the illustrations supported it brilliantly.
November 24, 2017
Cool numbers book!
December 5, 2017
I loved this book a billion trillion much!
December 28, 2017
This book does a great job of taking a large concept and making it accessible for kids. Looking forward to using this in my solar system storytime coming up.
March 24, 2018
How do you convey the immensity of numbers like three hundred seventy billion billion? Writing a 3 and a 7 followed by 19 zeros likely won’t do the job. Instead, this book uses awe-inducing facts from the cosmos (a hundred billion trillion stars in the universe) and the ground beneath our feet (10 quadrillion ants on Earth) to explore scale and estimation. Intimate second-person narration also draws in readers. For example, the book opens with the line "Let me tell you a secret" and later connects the reader to the story through lines like this: "Now take a deep breath for five seconds. Now do that 6,307,200 times and you'll be a year older!"
An excellent choice for an upper elementary school classroom.
An excellent choice for an upper elementary school classroom.
June 14, 2018
When the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards were announced, I had already read 4 of the 9 titles, so decided to try to read the rest. The way the illustrations "jump out" set this book apart from many of the others that like to include various numbers about everything from the miniscule to the interplanetary. It would be fun to have students write their own book in a similar style with the stats of their choice. I think my favorite fact included was that the weight of the ants on earth is about equal to that of the humans!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews