Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A child with long blonde hair explains that the fabric her father weaves at the village mill "is one layer in the spacesuit our astronauts wear." Her father is humble, insisting that he is only "proud to make a living." Dempsey captures the girl's palpable excitement as the Apollo 11 mission approaches: "Watching the news,/ I can practically feel/ the rumble of engines." Green illustrates in unguarded, jewel-toned images that bring the story warmth and intimacy. In an author's note, Dempsey offers historical context, explaining that the federal government hired factories to create the Apollo mission equipment and materials-and that the author's own relatives made the fiberglass "Beta cloth" that was used in spacesuits. Through a child's perspective, Dempsey and Green brightly convey how ordinary Americans became part of history. Ages 4-8. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-This picture book is a stunning tribute to members of the author's own family who worked in a textile mill that produced fabric for the Apollo 11 space suits. Told from the perspective of Marthanne, the daughter of a textile worker, this story seamlessly weaves together the excitement of the moon landing with the tale of the people who contributed to the historical event. In contrast to Marthanne's elevated sense of pride, her father's humility about his important role in the launch reflects the American spirit of the time period. With its detailed and bold illustrations, this book is sure to appeal to a wide audience, adults included. VERDICT A highly recommended purchase for any library, this book has a unique perspective on how every little piece works together to accomplish something great.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child's tribute to one of the thousands of blue-collar workers who have made the space program possible.Though Dempsey looks back on family history in highlighting the small but significant contribution that her father and other workers in a South Carolina textile factory made by manufacturing one layer of spacesuit material, she holds off describing the technological feat or even placing it in historical context until her afterword. Instead, in all that comes before she mainly focuses on the admiration any child might feel for a hardworking dad. Thus, despite a climactic gathering before the TV to watch Walter Cronkite before Green cuts away to Neil Armstrong's swaddled figure, there are no narrative details that bring either the times or specifics of work in the factory itself to life. When the child asks whether her father is proud to be part of a great endeavor he answers, "Only proud to make a living, Marthanne. Only proud to make a living." Aside from dressing father and daughter in period clothing (when the latter isn't visualizing herself floating in space), Green doesn't do much to pick up the slackone glimpse inside a factory furnished with vaguely drawn hand looms, an illegibly tiny labeled sketch of a spacesuit, and, later, a stack of old-time TVs as a tailpiece notwithstanding. Marthanne and her family are white; some group scenes include black background characters.One of a rush of commemorations of Apollo 11's semicentennial, but this is more about father-daughter intimacy than "One small step." (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
