Thank you Netgalley providing me with an ARC of this book.
It was super cute and definitely a book that you could read to a child ranging from 3-10, at least and have them interested in both the story and the colorful artwork. It's just a simple book detailing how a little girl would feel when she's an astronaut getting sent to space. I would definitely purchase a copy if I had a classroom of students who needed something to read.

My seven year old granddaughter has dreams of being a figure skater, a dancer or a doctor. Quite a difference, but that is the way it is when you are seven. That is one reason I really liked this book. It shows young girls another option out there. This series has three books so far (Entrepreneur, Surgeon and Astronaut) giving girls a view at the possibilities that are out there for them. Each page begins with the statement: When I'm and Astronaut..... It shows various things about the job and things you would need to know. It is not an "if" statement but a "when" showing that it is a realistic goal. We read this one together, and although when I asked her if she might want to be an astronaut when it was finished and she said, "probably not" it still put that idea into her head. I definitely want to get her the "When I'm a Surgeon" book. Each book also has an activity book to go with it, but I have not seen that yet. Once again, we enjoyed the illustrations and talked about them as we read. She was able to read much of the text with some help and picture clues, after I had read it to her. A wonderful book for primary classrooms. The author, Samantha Pillay, who is a doctor, had some physical limitations to overcome, which has encouraged her to encourage girls and minorities to follow their dreams.

"When I'm an Astronaut" features a young black girl. She dreams about being an astronaut. The picture book shows all the things she will do when she becomes an astronaut. She mentions the need to practice, stay fit and healthy, and do the impossible. The end includes information on an activity guide online.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and give my opinions of this book. It was a fun and empowering quick read that I was able to share with my daughter.

The illustrations were stunning and had a clear link to the text, there were so many background images that we could point to, name and discuss and, make links to our own home, family and experiences (like having a special teddy for bed time, a pet ect.)

The representation in this book was great, it was so nice to see a little girl, particularly a little girl who is a person of colour speaking about "when" she would become an astronaut, not if. The self affirming tone was additionally, incredibly important.

The repetition of "When I am an astronaut" meant that the word was really sinking in and becoming a part of my little ones vocabulary.

This was an adorable book. I loved the simplicity of it and the pictures were fun and beautiful. I loved that the main character was a girl and I liked that she was a girl of color as well. I think this will be enjoyed by kids of many ages.

My 10 year-old's thoughts (she loves space):
I liked it. I liked the pictures and how it said I would stay healthy and strong. I liked that it was a girl because usually those books are about boys. And I am a girl who likes space. I would recommend it to my friends or anyone who likes space.

This book sets out with the intention of breaking stereotypes. Letting girls know that there’s no such thing as a boys, job or a girls job and boys are in the same thing. This girl plans on being an astronaut. The story is not quite non-fiction but it’s a little bit more than your average picture book. It talks about the concepts, but in this hopeful future looking way overall, it works not the biggest fan of the illustrations but the book works

I read this with my space loving 5 year old.

He really enjoyed it.

I liked the fact that it used the word "when" instead of something like "if".

It was showing confidence in the fact that the child would definitely be an astronaut if they want to, and this is something that I try to install in my child.

I also liked that the main child is female, as typical stereotypes would have a boy astronaut. love the representation

I wish I had this book as a kid! Seeing a young girl, especially a young Black girl, as an astronaut is wonderful. I love the confidence this book exudes. It is not "if" I'm an astronaut, it is "when". In addition, to be empowering, this book mentions a lot of the aspects of being an astronaut. This could be a great way to talk to kids about all the things that go into being an astronaut, that it is not floating in a rocketship and exploring planets. My preschool students will love this book!

I didn't really love the writing. Each part starts with "When I'm an Astronaut", like the rest of the books in this series. I felt the author could have offered more in terms of the words, assuming this book is intended for 5-8 year olds. I think at this stage, children want to explore and are already curious, so there was no harm in giving more of practical information as to what astronauts do. However, I loved that the child in the story is a girl, as not many young girls aspire to work in this field. The illustrations were on point, giving the reader a glimpse into the world of an astronaut.

Thank you NetGalley and Capstone, Picture Window Books for accepting my request to read and review Saving Snakes.

Author: Samantha Pillay
Published: 08/02/2022
Genre: Children's Fiction

The illustrations were my favorite part of the book. They were bright and cheery, but not overdone.

The story had good points to make. I bored early by the same repetitive phrase used throughout the book. This is a STEM production and I am all for encouraging both girls and boys with educational paths geared towards science. However, I would have a hard time facially reading this on the fly to a group. I would have to practice and give a performance. The information is there, its just the repetitive question.

I would gift this as part of personal one-on-one time with a child, maybe in a grandparents basket. Encouragement is not a solo event.

As a woman in STEM, this inspiring book made me want to cry with joy over how matter-of-factly this brown girl is ignoring all gender/racial stereotypes and going for her dreams of venturing into space. She doesn't say "if" she'll be an astronaut, she declares "when". I am 100% here for her confidence and her success.

"When I'm an astronaut, I'll go where no one has gone before and be part of something bigger than me." Girl, YES YOU WILL.

Best of all, this is third in a series! Watch me rush off to find the first two, because you know they are just as rousing. Samantha Pillay, you just found a devoted fan for life.

This is a really great story with a wonderful message. I will certainly be using this for my 5th grade students when we discuss goal setting and talk about careers. The illustrations are phenomenal.

When I'm An Astronaut
When I'm An Astronaut is a book that inspires possibilities. There's imagination and reality.

What drew me to this book was the title “When I’m an Astronaut” with the picture of the little girl on the front. YES! WHEN! Not “if” or “I hope.” I have noticed that so much of the messaging that is sent to girls about future career paths uses terms that suggest uncertainty - “if,” “wish,” “hope,” and “dream” while messaging to boys uses more concrete terms “I will,” “When I grow up,” “I can,” etc. I love that this book says “when” and not “if” and the central character is a little girl of color. Yes for representation! The inside is great as well - the pictures are interesting yet informative and the text is simple but not fluffy. I particularly like that the book emphasizes physics and math as skills needed and also reiterates the need to practice, practice, practice. We need more books like this to read to our kids.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Pillay, and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nice Illustrations with thoughts so clear on self-belief.

Author had issues with her movement due to having 'hip dysplasia' in her childhood. She went through so many surgeries before her 5th birth year. This is the reason she came over adversities later in her life and became a urological surgeon herself, more to that a businesswoman.

This picture book is all about a girl who is ambitious and wanted to become an astronaut. She desired to achieve things distinct from any other counterpart. This girl is more of a resemblance of the author.

Read to know this ambitious girl,

When I'm an Astronaut is a story for young children about a girl who wants to go into space and works hard to make that dream come true. It is suitable for reading to younger children, or for first graders to read on their own (or with some help). The pages are dominated by attractive illustrations (including a cute dog) and one sentence per page for easy reading.
I read the story aloud to my daughter (6.5) and son (4) who both enjoyed it.

She gave it 5 stars and had this to say about it:
- I learned a lot about the kinds of things astronauts need to know how to do
- I liked the cute puppy
- The pictures were really pretty
- It was a good story
- I wish more girls went on rocketships in real life

He said:
- I liked the page where the astronaut talked to a classroom full of kids.

Some of the things that the story inspired us to talk about included:
- Studying STEM subjects
- The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA
- How SCUBA diving and spacewalks are similar
- Why so many astronauts were fighter pilots
- Keeping track of tools in zero gravity

There was also a link to some free coloring pages based on illustrations from the book, which both children were excited about.

This book is sure to be a hit with young people who have an interest in space.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book is aimed toward young girls, but my son still enjoyed the short book.

In the author's note it mentioned that the creation of this book made her learn more about this topic; however, the book didn't provide any concrete information on what it is like to be an astronaut.

The book was written using simple words. The focus was on WHEN this little girl became an astronaut, but some of what was mentioned can be incorporated in the hear and now so that this girl can excel when she becomes an astronaut. I believe incorporating the hear and now in addition to the future would assist with providing children the insight that they need to stay focused now on their dreams for the future.

The photos were BEAUTIFUL! We truly enjoyed them.

When I’m an Astronaut is the perfect STEM book for early readers.

The illustrations are vivid and eye-catching with lots of little hidden messages to find.
The repetitive start to each phrase helps young readers learn to recognize new words.
Sight-words are frequently used.
Messages of inclusiveness and diversity dominate the book.

Encouraging young people to aspire to careers in space-related fields can not be underestimated in their educational development.

A cute story with a wonderful, positive message to young readers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

I love the title of this book. Making the statement "WHEN I'm an astronaut" tells kids to go after their dreams and that they can achieve anything they set out to do in life. The illustrations are beautiful and will undoubtedly get kids thinking about what their dream career might look like, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book inspires young kids to become astronauts some day.

Thank you NetGalley and Samantha Pillay for sending me a free readers copy of this book!