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Mae Among the Stars
Inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison.
When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.
She wanted to be an astronaut.
Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”
Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.
When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering.
She wanted to be an astronaut.
Her mom told her, "If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”
Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents' encouraging words, paved the way for her success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
About the author
Roda Ahmed
11 books20 followersRoda Ahmed is a Norwegian novelist and children's author. Born in Hargaisa, Somalia, she emigrated with her family to Norway, and was educated at the Norwegian University of Technology and Natural Sciences. She speaks Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English and French. In 2008 her debut novel, Forberedelsen (The Preparation), became a bestseller in Norway. Ahmed was a regular columnist for the Norwegian National newspaper, Dagsavisen and released her first children’s book, Mae Among the Stars, in 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
November 21, 2019
Mae dreams of seeing Earth from the stars. She learns this means she wants to be an Astronaut. Her parents tell her, if she can dream it, she can do it. Her teacher tells her to be a nurse. She listens to her parents. Mae is a real person and she was the first African American Woman in space in 1992.
I love stories about people who have a dream and reach that dream. What I am slowly learning about these people is they usually have a singular dream that is the focus of their life. Everything they do is pointing to that dream. I have always have multiple dreams and wants. It has never been focused on one clear goal. I want to do lots of different stuff. I think it makes a difference in what you can accomplish because you are split between many things. Having my focus split has made it much more difficult to reach any dreams, I feel. Maybe someone else would be better at it, but this is my experience. As I’ve aged, I have managed to at least step into my dreams a toe or two at a time, but I fail to become a giant in my field. That’s when my focus usually shifts to my other interests. I wanted to play in an orchestra - I played in the local orchestra in college, and then moved away.
I admire people like Mae and anyone who can focus on one thing and achieve it.
The nephew thought it was interesting that people become astronauts. When I told him that NASA has the most robots he became more interested in NASA. He thought it was an ok story. He gave this 2 stars because he didn’t see any robots.
I love stories about people who have a dream and reach that dream. What I am slowly learning about these people is they usually have a singular dream that is the focus of their life. Everything they do is pointing to that dream. I have always have multiple dreams and wants. It has never been focused on one clear goal. I want to do lots of different stuff. I think it makes a difference in what you can accomplish because you are split between many things. Having my focus split has made it much more difficult to reach any dreams, I feel. Maybe someone else would be better at it, but this is my experience. As I’ve aged, I have managed to at least step into my dreams a toe or two at a time, but I fail to become a giant in my field. That’s when my focus usually shifts to my other interests. I wanted to play in an orchestra - I played in the local orchestra in college, and then moved away.
I admire people like Mae and anyone who can focus on one thing and achieve it.
The nephew thought it was interesting that people become astronauts. When I told him that NASA has the most robots he became more interested in NASA. He thought it was an ok story. He gave this 2 stars because he didn’t see any robots.
March 2, 2019
Now although I have found Rhoda Ahmed's Mae Among the Stars inspirational and generally sweetly recounted, I am sorry to say that I also at the same time do consider her Mae Among the Stars quite majorly and annoyingly lacking in the specific details, in the particular information about how Mae Carol Jemison actually proceeded to become an astronaut. As while I do much appreciate that Rhoda Ahmed clearly describes and depicts how Mae's family was always unfailingly supportive, I for one wanted not only the details on Mae's childhood, on how she imaginatively played at and pretended being an astronaut, on how especially her mother encouraged her daughter's dream to become and astronaut even when Mae's teacher had suggested that for someone like Mae (for someone who is both female and a visible minority), she should at best strive to become a nurse, but yes indeed also the relevant information regarding Mae's particular educational experiences. In other other words I needed and I still very much desire the detailed specifics and particulars of Mae Jemison's path into outer space (and yes, within the text proper and not just relegated to an author's note at the back of Mae Among the Stars).
For although it is of course important to show how Mae found her voice and her strength and how she was encouraged and inspired by especially her supportive family to succeed, to follow her astronaut dreams, it is in my humble opinion of just as much if not actually of even considerably more importance to show, to demonstrate (and within the actual narrative of Mae Among the Stars) at least some of the stations of Mae Jemison's educational process and progression (from school, to university, to MD and finally to realising her dream and becoming the first African American female astronaut). And indeed, I do find it more than a trifle trivial and annoying that Mae Among the Stars ends with "And guess what - she did, she went to space and waved to her mom and dad from earth" (for albeit that this concluding statement is sweet and inspiring enough, I guess, to and for me Mae Among the Stars really does end much too soon, ends without really in any manner truly showing how May's education was in fact achieved, without detailing her becoming an actual astronaut (and no, for me personally, the author's note is simply insufficient, as that information could and should be placed right into the main text of Mae Among the Stars, right front and centre so to speak).
Combined with the fact that I have also found Stasia Burrington's accompanying illustrations at times considerably too darkly hued and generally rather too cartoon-like in scope for my aesthetic and personal tastes (and also think that the illustrations of Mae's teacher Mrs Bell are much too deliberately visually rendered as aesthetically ugly, something that I for one do consider more than a bit of a potential issue, as it basically seems to assume that a teacher like Mrs Bell, that yes anyone who has a one-sided and stereotypical worldview and attitude on the inside must then by necessity and nature also look and appear physically ugly and repugnant on the outside) and that there also are no source acknowledgements (read no bibliographic lists) included, I really cannot and will not consider Mae Among the Stars with more than two stars (as while I do very much appreciate the encouraging messages presented by Rhoda Ahmed, there is just too much that is textually and factually lacking and insufficient for me to consider a higher ranking, especially since, as mentioned, I am also not that much a fan of Stasia Burrington's accompanying pictures).
For although it is of course important to show how Mae found her voice and her strength and how she was encouraged and inspired by especially her supportive family to succeed, to follow her astronaut dreams, it is in my humble opinion of just as much if not actually of even considerably more importance to show, to demonstrate (and within the actual narrative of Mae Among the Stars) at least some of the stations of Mae Jemison's educational process and progression (from school, to university, to MD and finally to realising her dream and becoming the first African American female astronaut). And indeed, I do find it more than a trifle trivial and annoying that Mae Among the Stars ends with "And guess what - she did, she went to space and waved to her mom and dad from earth" (for albeit that this concluding statement is sweet and inspiring enough, I guess, to and for me Mae Among the Stars really does end much too soon, ends without really in any manner truly showing how May's education was in fact achieved, without detailing her becoming an actual astronaut (and no, for me personally, the author's note is simply insufficient, as that information could and should be placed right into the main text of Mae Among the Stars, right front and centre so to speak).
Combined with the fact that I have also found Stasia Burrington's accompanying illustrations at times considerably too darkly hued and generally rather too cartoon-like in scope for my aesthetic and personal tastes (and also think that the illustrations of Mae's teacher Mrs Bell are much too deliberately visually rendered as aesthetically ugly, something that I for one do consider more than a bit of a potential issue, as it basically seems to assume that a teacher like Mrs Bell, that yes anyone who has a one-sided and stereotypical worldview and attitude on the inside must then by necessity and nature also look and appear physically ugly and repugnant on the outside) and that there also are no source acknowledgements (read no bibliographic lists) included, I really cannot and will not consider Mae Among the Stars with more than two stars (as while I do very much appreciate the encouraging messages presented by Rhoda Ahmed, there is just too much that is textually and factually lacking and insufficient for me to consider a higher ranking, especially since, as mentioned, I am also not that much a fan of Stasia Burrington's accompanying pictures).
February 12, 2018
This is a sweet, simplistic book, but it's also a missed opportunity. Mae Jemison's life is so interesting that much more could be written than just I-wanted-something-and-a-teacher-made-me-sad-and-then-I-wanted-it-again. Kids can handle depth of character and historical context, and it's a shame not to see that explored more here.
February 28, 2019
Ah, mixed feelings here. On the one hand, this is a lovely book, with engaging illustrations and plenty of encouragement for following your dreams. Mae's own story certainly is five-star worthy and I appreciated the brief biographical information in the back -- but this picture book left me wanting more. How did Mae go from hearing her teacher tell her she couldn't be an astronaut to entering Stanford University at age sixteen!? While certainly children need their parents to champion their dreams, I would certainly hope and assume that her parents and/or other influential adults did more than simply tell her to dream big and work hard -- but that is not shown here.
"Later she asked her dad, 'But how do I become an astronaut? It seems impossible?'
'You will find your way, Mae. Because if you dream it, believe in it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.'"
"Mae went on dreaming, believing, and working really hard.
And guess what--
She went to space and waved to her mom and dad on Earth."
But HOW did she work hard? WHAT did she do to prove that elementary school teacher wrong and get the education to become an astronaut? I think we do a disservice to children when we show them the longing and then the dream-come-true and don't show them HOW that dream was realized. That said, at heart this book has the best of intentions and certainly children should be introduced to Mae. I just hope it makes them hungry to learn more.
"Later she asked her dad, 'But how do I become an astronaut? It seems impossible?'
'You will find your way, Mae. Because if you dream it, believe in it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.'"
"Mae went on dreaming, believing, and working really hard.
And guess what--
She went to space and waved to her mom and dad on Earth."
But HOW did she work hard? WHAT did she do to prove that elementary school teacher wrong and get the education to become an astronaut? I think we do a disservice to children when we show them the longing and then the dream-come-true and don't show them HOW that dream was realized. That said, at heart this book has the best of intentions and certainly children should be introduced to Mae. I just hope it makes them hungry to learn more.
March 25, 2023
What a badass. 💖💖💖
Content warning: misogynoir
Content warning: misogynoir
December 11, 2018
Beautiful art, but I found the narrative sparse. I bet there are a lot more interesting things about Mae Jemison the book could have told. A story where not much happens until three quarters of the way in a white teacher tells her she can't be an astronaut, she gets briefly sad, and then gets over it? Not very compelling. Most of the story felt padded.
I also found it too "American Dream"-focused. The refrain of "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible" is nice in theory I guess but not really that helpful of a message, especially as it implies if you don't succeed it's your fault. The book also starts off with a "she's not like the other girls," another message I don't appreciate. Both of these ideologies are steeped in individualism. Meh.
I also found it too "American Dream"-focused. The refrain of "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible" is nice in theory I guess but not really that helpful of a message, especially as it implies if you don't succeed it's your fault. The book also starts off with a "she's not like the other girls," another message I don't appreciate. Both of these ideologies are steeped in individualism. Meh.
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March 2, 2018This was one of Black Girls Love Books' "New books that celebrate Black girls and women for Black History Month!" so I was excited about it, but while it's a nicely illustrated book and the narrative isn't bad, it felt sparse and generic to me. (I mean, I also don't love the refrain of "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible," since that's not actually literally true, but I'm willing to roll with it for the sake of a picturebook encouraging children to not give up on their dreams just because they're not sure how to achieve them or other people discourage them.)
Another reviewer noted that Jemison's life is so rich and interesting that this book could have been so much more. I don't know anything about Jemison beyond the mini-biography at the end of this book, but even just in reading the book I was hoping for more about how Mae achieved her dream.
Another reviewer noted that Jemison's life is so rich and interesting that this book could have been so much more. I don't know anything about Jemison beyond the mini-biography at the end of this book, but even just in reading the book I was hoping for more about how Mae achieved her dream.
July 1, 2018
For me, this book was not so much about Mae Jemison as it was about which voices do we listen to and which should we ignore in our pursuit of our dreams?
July 25, 2018
Art is lovely. But really, I enjoyed the page on the many accomplishments of Dr Jemison, and the bios of the author and illustrator more than the text, which isn't very subtle.
Library copy
Library copy
January 17, 2018
With a refrain of encouraging words, this story of the first African American woman in outer space is perfect for storytimes and read-alouds sure to inspire readers to dream big and work hard for it.
October 30, 2018
Young Mae dreams of becoming an astronaut and visiting the stars in this lovely picture-book debut from expat Norwegian author Roda Ahmed and first-time illustrator Stasia Burrington. Her parents offer her words of encouragement, telling her that if she can dream of something, believe in something, and work hard toward something, she can do anything she wants. Hurt when her teacher tries to redirect her ambitions toward nursing - something suitable, apparently, for "someone like her" - Mae is once again reassured by her parents. Eventually, following their advice, she dreams big, believes in herself, works hard, and becomes the first African-American woman astronaut to reach space...
A sweetly inspirational book, one suitable for the younger picture-book audience, Mae Among the Stars is less of a biography than it is a collection of anecdotes from its subject's childhood, organized around the central theme of following your dreams and working to make them a reality. There is an author's afterword that gives more information about Mae Jemison. Having seen this one read at story-time (by the author), I can attest to the fact that it is engaging. It is also beautifully illustrated. My favorite scene, visually speaking, was the one in which Mae dreams of floating amongst the stars. Recommended to anyone looking for simple picture-books about astronaut Mae Jemison, or for children's stories about pursuing one's dreams.
A sweetly inspirational book, one suitable for the younger picture-book audience, Mae Among the Stars is less of a biography than it is a collection of anecdotes from its subject's childhood, organized around the central theme of following your dreams and working to make them a reality. There is an author's afterword that gives more information about Mae Jemison. Having seen this one read at story-time (by the author), I can attest to the fact that it is engaging. It is also beautifully illustrated. My favorite scene, visually speaking, was the one in which Mae dreams of floating amongst the stars. Recommended to anyone looking for simple picture-books about astronaut Mae Jemison, or for children's stories about pursuing one's dreams.
March 25, 2019
Sorry, folks, but just because a book is about an inspirational character doesn't mean it's good.
The writing here is incredibly awkward and pedestrian. What could have been wonderful in the hands of a terrific writer becomes not so wonderful here.
Let's move on to the choice of an artist. All the characters have round round heads, tiny eyes and no noses. Fine if this were anime, but it's not, and while it has charm, it really doesn't fit the book.
This will be popular because of its subject, and I am betting teachers/librarians will be reading this during Black History Month because it is simple enough for preschoolers and early grade school kids.
But again, that doesn't mean it's good.
The writing here is incredibly awkward and pedestrian. What could have been wonderful in the hands of a terrific writer becomes not so wonderful here.
Let's move on to the choice of an artist. All the characters have round round heads, tiny eyes and no noses. Fine if this were anime, but it's not, and while it has charm, it really doesn't fit the book.
This will be popular because of its subject, and I am betting teachers/librarians will be reading this during Black History Month because it is simple enough for preschoolers and early grade school kids.
But again, that doesn't mean it's good.
March 3, 2019
Unsatisfying, trivial, and neither helpful or inspiring. If the book is meant to focus on her childhood, to be more directed to the audience, then more should be said about the family, imo. But even that would not be enough for me. Sorry.
March 21, 2018
Such a great read! It deserves a spot in every classroom library.
November 16, 2020
Day fourteen of Hannah's picture book challenge - a book about a real life person.
A story about how determination can turn imagination into reality, this children's book remarkable! It follows the journey of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, and details how she accomplished her childhood dream of soaring amongst the stars.
A story about how determination can turn imagination into reality, this children's book remarkable! It follows the journey of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, and details how she accomplished her childhood dream of soaring amongst the stars.
July 31, 2018
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Mae Among The Stars, written by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington, a story inspired by real-life astronaut Mae Jemison’s early years.
When her parents ask her what she wants to do when she grows up, Mae says something odd: “I want to see the Earth”. When they point out that Earth is all around her, Mae clarifies that she wants to see the Earth from space. Her parents stress that such a goal will require hard work and dedication, but if she dreams it and believes it, anything is possible. Mae begins to research astronautics on her own time, and even constructs an astronaut costume. But when she goes to school and shares her dream in class, her fellow students and even her teacher laugh at her, with the woman even suggesting she look into being a nurse instead – something more suited to “someone like” Mae. Devastated, Mae returns home and tells her mother about what happened, but her parents encourage her not to let others define her destiny. Reinvigorated, Mae promises to wave to her parents from space one day – a promise she keeps.
Fabulous! Mae’s early interest in space travel is winningly adapted into a storybook-style narrative, and it works so well here. It both simplifies Mae’s aspirations and struggles for the youngest readers while still allowing them to connect to and be inspired by Mae. The climactic scene at school is heartbreaking – while some children may not, adults will immediately understand that the others’ humiliation of Mae is entirely race- and gender-motivated, and a stark reminder of how hard women of color had to struggle to break barriers – and still do. It creates a subtle yet deeply inspiring lesson for children of color: don’t let the prejudices of others limit your dreams. The art is beautiful, using color and a running celestial theme that ties in with Mae and her passion for space. The length is good, and JJ and I both loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
December 30, 2018
As a young child, Mae Jemison wanted to see Earth...from space. Her parents tell her, "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible." Despite a teacher telling her she should probably be a nurse, that becoming an astronaut isn't probable for her, Mae works hard. And of course, she becomes the first African American woman to travel to space.
September 23, 2021
Little Mae loves outer space, the stars, and exploring the sky, wishing to wave to her parents from space, and despite various obstacles just may prove herself to be amongst the stars.
Meet future Dr. Mae Jemison: the first African American female astronaut, an icon, legend and an amazing perseverant woman.
I personally want to add that like Mae, in school, at future career day, her teacher told her she shouldn't be an astronaut but a nurse. However, Mae's mother's enduring words of support and defiance of the status quo proved to be a driving force for her.
If you are a parent, never tell your kids no when it comes to their goals/aspirations. Support, love and encourage them and their individual aspirations or ideas.
Simple but effective writing and illustrations by #OwnVoices author Roda Ahmed and Stasia Burrington make this a great accompaniment to anything similar to the juvenile adaptation of Hidden Figures or of any woman who followed her dreams.
Meet future Dr. Mae Jemison: the first African American female astronaut, an icon, legend and an amazing perseverant woman.
I personally want to add that like Mae, in school, at future career day, her teacher told her she shouldn't be an astronaut but a nurse. However, Mae's mother's enduring words of support and defiance of the status quo proved to be a driving force for her.
If you are a parent, never tell your kids no when it comes to their goals/aspirations. Support, love and encourage them and their individual aspirations or ideas.
Simple but effective writing and illustrations by #OwnVoices author Roda Ahmed and Stasia Burrington make this a great accompaniment to anything similar to the juvenile adaptation of Hidden Figures or of any woman who followed her dreams.
April 8, 2019
This book describes the excitement and enthusiasm that Mae Jemison brought in her quest to go to space as an American astronaut from her earliest childhood years. The narrative is a bit too simplistic for my taste and is filled with platitudes, but not a lot of substance.
I do appreciate that the author included a note at the end of the book with additional information about Dr. Jemison's life, including the fact that she speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili and that she served in the Peace Corps prior to her time with NASA.
So I did learn a bit more about her through reading this book. I just wish more of the details were in the narrative.
Stasia Burrington used ink and Adobe Photoshop to create the digital illustrations for this book. The pictures are colorful and cartoonish, but I don't know that they truly do justice in portraying the pioneering astronaut. I wish they had included an actual photo of her, too.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the March 2019 - Outstanding Women-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I'm glad that it was selected, as I'm not sure if we would have discovered it otherwise. I liked it, but didn't love it, although I suppose that it would appeal to very young children. Perhaps it will inspire another young child to go to space someday.
I do appreciate that the author included a note at the end of the book with additional information about Dr. Jemison's life, including the fact that she speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili and that she served in the Peace Corps prior to her time with NASA.
So I did learn a bit more about her through reading this book. I just wish more of the details were in the narrative.
Stasia Burrington used ink and Adobe Photoshop to create the digital illustrations for this book. The pictures are colorful and cartoonish, but I don't know that they truly do justice in portraying the pioneering astronaut. I wish they had included an actual photo of her, too.
This book was featured as one of the selections for the March 2019 - Outstanding Women-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I'm glad that it was selected, as I'm not sure if we would have discovered it otherwise. I liked it, but didn't love it, although I suppose that it would appeal to very young children. Perhaps it will inspire another young child to go to space someday.
February 21, 2021
"If you believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.” This may just be my favorite line from the whole book. It is inspirinng for readers, young and old, in so many ways. This is the story of Mae Jemison, and it focus on her youth, when her biggest dream was to one day look down from space and loo at Earth. She would go on to become the first African American woman to travel in space.
This was such a fun read. I truly love the illustrations, which capture a childlike view with very round and large shapes for everything. The power of dreams and aspirations takes center stage along with the hope that hard work can help anyone achiee them. The book concludes with a more detailed, one-page biography that takes readers from the events of the book through her amazing career that includes becomingn a medical doctor before refocusing back to her dreams of space.
This was such a fun read. I truly love the illustrations, which capture a childlike view with very round and large shapes for everything. The power of dreams and aspirations takes center stage along with the hope that hard work can help anyone achiee them. The book concludes with a more detailed, one-page biography that takes readers from the events of the book through her amazing career that includes becomingn a medical doctor before refocusing back to her dreams of space.
January 11, 2023
For a story based on true events, it was a bit lacking
October 2, 2023
This author did an amazing job of showcasing Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American female astronaut. There are so many incredible people in the world. I only speak two languages. LOL! These biographical picture books are inspirational!
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April 9, 2019I would include this book into the second-grade science unit about inventors and scientists. This would fit well for two main reasons. First, the book is based upon the life of Mae Jemison, the first female African American woman to travel in space, which would fit with our scientists. Also, the fact that she was involved in the space program would coincide with our study of different inventions over the years. The twin text I chose to go with it is called I Want to Be an Astronaut by Byron Barton. This book puts the process of going into space into very simple text and pictures for the younger second grade students. I would use an interactive strategy to relate the two books based on the many needs for going into space. In the book Mae Among the Stars, the author goes into more detail about her life and dreams of going into space, while the other book discusses the actual events when going into space. I would have the kids plan out a trip to space and make a supply list for each member of the crew. I would also have them decide which of the items they could go without for the duration of the mission, and which items they would feel would be essential. Finally, the kids could also write about how they think being in space would affect them as they completed everyday activities such as eating, exercising, and playing games.
Barton, B. (2012). I want to be an astronaut. Minneapolis, MN: Seeing Hands.
Barton, B. (2012). I want to be an astronaut. Minneapolis, MN: Seeing Hands.
February 21, 2019
This book would be great to share with children in black history month, since it is inspired by the true story of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American Women in space. Because of her parent’s encouragements presented in this quote: "If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible", Mae followed her dream of becoming an astronaut. Mae path to become the first African American Women in space was filled with obstacles and the first one was her teacher who suggested that she becomes a nurse instead of an astronaut. Mae is a good inspiration for young children to pursue their dreams and not to be distracted with anybody’s discouragement along their way. Roda Ahmed used simple sentences to tell Mae’s story which makes this book easy to be followed by young children, the illustrations also support the text in each page in a meaningful way.
January 15, 2019
"If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible." this is the message young Mae Jemison hears from her parents over and over again. They inspire her to actually live her dream of becoming an astronaut. Filled with inspiration and beautiful bright illustrations the reader sees young Mae overcome obstacles - including a teacher who tries to talk Mae out of her dream and suggests she become a nurse instead - and working hard to become the first African-American woman in space. Beautiful and inspirational story well worth sharing.
February 9, 2018
This is a nice picture book biography that tells young readers about the early life of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. The simple text along with the kid-friendly illustrations, make this a good starting point to inspire further research. There’s more biographical information on the last page, but I wish the author had included some photographs of Dr. Jemison and her space adventures.
July 14, 2018
A hackneyed story line reduces a pivotal time in the stellar life of Dr. Mae Jemison to a platitude: dream it, believe it, work it, achieve it. The illustrations add much-needed depth to the story, but the wide-eyed, nose-less characters seem more alien than human; that said, Mae’s blue ride home from school conveys the disappointment of a dream deferred. A photo of Dr. Mae Jemison in her space suit would have been a welcome addition to the biographical note.
July 14, 2019
This is a beautifully illustrated and simply told story about the first female African-American astronaut, Mae Jamison. My only complaint is that it is TOO simple. Mae goes from being a little girl told she could never go to space to going to space, and the only detail on how she did it is basically by believing in herself and her dreams, and putting her mind to it. I’m guessing there might have been a little more to it than that. 🤷🏻♀️
April 2, 2018
A great first look at Mae Jemison. I used it with first grade and it launched them into wanting to know more about her life. It was also a wonderful book to use for Women’s History Month. Beautiful illustrations and a perfect message of perseverance and believing in your dreams!
September 6, 2018
I read this to the kids and they immediately asked if they could write her a letter/draw her pictures, since finally I read them a book about someone still alive. So I'd say they enjoyed it. Very inspiring.
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