One Tiny Bubble: The Story of Our Last Universal Common Ancestor

Billions of years ago, a “blob”, tinier than a cupcake sprinkle, was created from stardust, water and heat, perhaps at the bottom of the sea. As the muddy ingredients came to a boil, one tiny bubble formed a thin membrane around some of the soupy mixture, resulting in LUCA (an acronym for Last Universal Common Ancestor). LUCA, a single cell, split into two, the two became four, and so on, eventually evolving into various species over billions of years.

Descendants of LUCA include all living things- from algae, mushrooms and plants to bacteria, animals and humans. Ideal conditions obviously played a part in the creation of the single cell from which all life on Earth originated. One Tiny Bubble demonstrates that LUCA connects humans to all life on this planet, a true miracle, and that the possibility exists that a different “LUCA” could form on another planet, provided that the timing is right, with compatible ingredients and suitable conditions.

Krossing’s gentle, lyrical text explains a complex concept to young readers. Back matter consists of a very brief glossary as well as an “Afterword” in which the author clarifies that LUCA was not the first life-form on Earth, but the last one before single cells morphed into different species over time.

The simplicity of Lo’s vibrant, coloured illustrations not only suits the writing style but will also appeal to the book’s target audience.