Review by Booklist Review
Rosie and her younger sister, Fern, share a bedroom, an interest in space travel, and the ability to entertain themselves with imaginative play. One morning, Fern suggests playing astronauts. Rosie agrees and begins pulling out suitable clothing, to Fern's delight. "Snow suits," says Rosie. "Space suits!" says Fern." "Boots," says Rosie. "Space boots!' says Fern. During breakfast, Fern reminds her sister not to let her juice box float away. At the park, they imagine themselves floating through space before running 16 times around Earth (their patient father). The next morning, they attend a parade for a hometown hero, an astronaut returning from space: Mama! Yes, the astronaut is their mother. The concise text creates a warm sibling relationship within a short timeframe. An appended page discusses matters such as what astronauts eat, how their spacesuits protect them, how they sleep on the International Space Station, and how they return home. The appealing digital illustrations portray the girls' dreams of floating through space as vividly as their daily lives. A child-friendly choice for reading aloud.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Make-believe comes easily to Fern and Rosie, sisters who share a bedroom and, it seems, a favorite game: playing astronauts. As the two dress, Rosie holds up snow suits that the two don as space suits. Black boots, white bike helmets, and green mittens are similarly repurposed, and the two astronauts have breakfast ("Hold on to your juice box," Rosie says. "Everything floats in outer space"). At the playground, spinning on the carousel and flying on the swings fit into the duo's routine as they imagine sailing to a space station "that circled the Earth sixteen times in one day." Finally, after watching the station cross the sky at night, the two snuggle up with some astronaut books. Fortenberry (Grandpa and Jake) draws the light-brown-skinned sisters simply while combining two visual worlds--the familiarity of the siblings' home and neighborhood, and vast, blue stretches of outer space. The next day, the two attend a parade that reveals the inspiration behind the sisters' interest, making for a STEM-themed book whose emotional thrust feels credible and uncontrived. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes more about astronauts. Ages 4--6. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency. (Jan.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
3…2…1! Blast off with the astronaut sisters! Snowsuits and bike helmets become spacesuits and space helmets as Rosie and Fern rummage through their closet. An intergalactic trip to the playground with Papa launches the girls through the clouds as an imaginary adventure takes flight. They gaze down at the earth below and float alongside a space station that circles our planet 16 times in one day. The next morning, Papa drives the siblings, dressed once more in their spacesuits, to a special parade--a homecoming celebration for a real astronaut. But this isn't just any astronaut; it's Rosie and Fern's mother! Their reunion amid a cheering crowd is a touching testament to Mama's influence over the girls' dreams and aspirations, manifesting through play. Colorful cartoon illustrations with scrawled black outlines lend a sweetness to the children's lively game. The youngsters are brown-skinned; one of them has dark hair to match their brown-skinned Mama's, while the other has orange hair like their light-skinned Papa's. The crowd at the parade varies in terms of skin tone, body type, clothing, and head coverings. A joyous ode to the power of play, the bond between sisters, and the vital representation of women in STEM. (FAQs about astronauts)(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
