Mae among the stars

by Roda Ahmed

Other authorsStasia Burrington (Illustrator.)
Paper Book, 2018

Status

Available

Publication

New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2018]

Description

When young Mae Jemison is asked by her teacher what she wants to be when she grows up, African American Mae tells her mostly white classmates that she wants to be an astronaut, a dream that her parents wholeheartedly support.

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
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,
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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.
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LibraryThing member aengolia
Such a powerful message in this book. Mae is a young black girl who aspires to be an astronaut when she grows up. She talks about it, dresses up like it, and even has real dreams about it. When Mae goes to school, her teacher asks the class to say what they want to be when they grow up. The other
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students say traditional jobs and when it is her turn, she tells the teacher she wants to be an astronaut, but the teacher thinks she should be nurse instead. Mae ends up growing up and becoming a real astronaut. I loved reading this. This shows children that even if people do not believe in your dream, if you “dream it, believe it, and work hard for it, anything is possible,” which is the main theme in the book. The author uses that line three separate times, which I think is because she wants it to resonate with children reading. I loved the illustrations as well, very detailed.
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LibraryThing member bobbybslax
Can't speak to the writing quality, but the watercolor-style illustrations are lovely. I'm very partial to that style, so this was pleasant on the eyes.

Language

Original publication date

2018

Physical description

29 cm

ISBN

9780062651730

Local notes

children's fiction
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