Mae Among the Stars

by ShÃ, Stasia Burrington (Illustrator)

Overview

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

A beautiful picture book for sharing, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison.

A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the perfect book for young readers who have big dreams and even bigger hearts!

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 incredible success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.

This book will inspire other young girls to reach for the stars, to aspire for the impossible, and to persist with childlike imagination.

Customer Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062651730
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/28/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	3,114
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 1.50(h) x 9.50(d)
Lexile:	AD580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Roda Ahmed is a Norwegian author and columnist born in Hargeisa, Somalia. Roda is the bestselling author of Forberedelsen (The Preparations). Mae Among the Stars is her first children’s book. She can speak five languages: Somali, Arabic, Norwegian, English, and French. Roda lives in LA with her husband and two children. For more info check out www.rodaworld.com.

Stasia Burrington is a Japanese-American illustrator and fine artist who makes her home in SeaTac, Washington, with her partner and two cats. She loves experimental cooking, camping, and everything having to do with science and science fiction.

Editorial Reviews

11/13/2017
Ahmed’s first children’s book presents a vague fictional portrait of a young Mae Jemison, whose parents support her dream of becoming an astronaut; their advice (“If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible”) becomes the book’s refrain. Ahmed hints at the sexist attitudes Jemison was up against: Mae’s classmates laugh when she reveals that she wants to be an astronaut, and her skeptical teacher tells her, “Nursing would be a good profession for someone like you.” Newcomer Burrington’s spare illustrations combine watery splashes of color with collaged elements; her characters’ rounded heads and minimal facial features give them an emoji-like appearance but don’t do much to bring emotion to the story. An afterword provides some details about Jemison’s career and various firsts she accomplished, including becoming the first African-American woman in space, but this is less a picture book biography than a generic ode to persistence and dreaming big, loosely tied to Jemison’s life. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Margaret Riley King, William Morris Endeavor. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Burrington’s cute, playful paintings match the dreamy focus of the story, particularly her star-splattered nighttime scenes...[the] inspirational tone will strike the right note for those just learning about the astronaut.

Booklist

12/01/2017
K-Gr 2—Born in Alabama, Mae Jemison dreamed of going to space. When she grew up, she attained a degree in chemical engineering before finishing medical school in the 1980s. After a stint in the Peace Corps, Jemison wasn't content with just being an engineer or doctor—she satisfied her love of the stars by becoming an astronaut—the first African American female astronaut and the first African American woman in space. Ahmed and Burrington have created a love letter to Jemison with this appealing picture book biography. The recurring line, "If you can dream it, if you believe in it, and work hard for it, anything is possible" is a chorus sure to resonate with children. The emphasis on Jemison's lifelong passion for space science will inspire readers to have confidence in the trajectory of their own interests. Burrington's bright, kid-friendly illustrations were created with ink and Adobe Photoshop. An epilogue provides the dates and details of Jemison's life and career. VERDICT A starry addition to picture book biography collections.—Deidre Winterhalter, Oak Park Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2017-10-16
Pioneering African-American astronaut Mae Jemison's childhood love of space and supportive parents led to her illustrious career.Little Mae's pastoral childhood home is presented in warm yellows, blues, and greens, visually establishing the atmosphere promoted by her loving parents, who encourage her dreams. When Mae's school assignment asks her to write about what she wants to be when she grows up, Mae responds that she wants to see Earth from space. Her parents tell her she must become an astronaut to do that, and when Mae asks if they think she can, their response weaves its way throughout the narrative: "Of course you can. If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible." Thus begins Mae's obsession with space: reading about space, creating homemade astronaut costumes and spaceships, and drawing spacescapes. But when she shares her dreams in school, her white teacher discourages her, and her mostly white classmates laugh. Mae is crestfallen, her despondency captured with deceptively simple lines and a blue wash. Her dismay is short-lived, as she is buoyed up by her parents' continued support and encouragement. Uplifted, Mae promises to wave to her parents from space one day—and she does just that, as the first African-American astronaut.An enchanting, inspirational account of Jemison's early life that illustrates the importance of encouraging and supporting children's dreams. (biographical note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews