Blast off

PreS-Gr 2--Young Regina Williams, who is Black, dreams of becoming as astronaut. Her imagination fills the pages of her drawings, taking her to the moon and beyond despite others doubting her. The illustrations transport readers back to the time when space travel was just an idea. The first spread, depicting Regina in full color and her alter-ego in black and white pencil, perfectly conveys the dream, as well as a young woman manifesting her own destiny. Pair this with Roda Ahmed's Mae Among The Stars or Steven Breen's Violet The Pilot for a STEAM-themed story hour. VERDICT Libraries that still have the 1973 edition of this title, long out of print, will appreciate this perky new version; it's a great story, prescient in its time, about the power of imagination as a tool or fuel for reaching for the stars.--Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, New York P.L.