This is a cute read! I love the illustrations (they almost seem like they're animated!) I love the female in STEM representation. Anyone can dream, regardless of gender. This book is an inspiration to girls and very entertaining too.

"Career gender stereotypes and self-efficacy start to form in early childhood.

This book encourages children to Dream Big and Aim High."

I wish that this book encouraged ALL children to dream big and aim high. If the character had been more specific, had a name, that would've been fine. But given that the character is just an anonymous picture, and that this book is meant to inspire ALL kids, I wish each page would've shown a different child performing the tasks of becoming an astronaut, so that all kids could see themselves becoming this someday. I love the idea of this book, but I just wish it had done more. That being said, I loved the illustrations.

This is a great book series to introduce kids to different careers and careers in STEM. This book was all about becoming an astronaut. She talked about all the cool and fun different things she would get to do as an astronaut. The different jobs and responsibilities she would have. So much hard work she will have to put into it to become an astronaut. It’s a very inspiring and educational book for young kids who dream of exploring space! I feel like almost all kids go through a phase of wanting to become an astronaut and some never grow out of that and work towards it as an adult. A book like this will help a child realize that their dream can become reality if they really want it to.

I love the whole concept of this series. The books offer inspiration, education and entertainment to the reader. It empowers kids not to say "if" I do... but "when" I do. I also like the adorable main character who is a little girl of colour. She is an aspiring astronaut.

The book encourages kids to follow their heart's desire of what they want to become when they are grown up.

The illustrations are beautiful. They are large, crisp and colourful greatly enriching the positive message of the book perfectly.

With a HUGE dream in your heart, lots of hard work, perseverance, and practice your dream can become a reality. This book should be both in classrooms and elementary school libraries. I highly, highly recommend it!

"When I'm an Astronaut', is the third book in the 'Inspirational Careers for Kids' series and is a brilliant addition. This STEM text is all about a young girl who has big plans to become an astronaut. She outlines all the things she'll need along the way, from a problem-solving mind, to wonder and awe. This book would be a great text for Early Years and Key Stage 1, with simple text and a repetitive structure to each new page, helping with children's familiarisation and giving them a model they can use to produce their own writing. The beautiful illustrations make it even more engaging.

A brilliantly encouraging and diverse text, smashing the gender and racial stereotypes found in too many children's books and showing all children that no dream is shut off to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the purpose of Samantha Pillay’s When I’m an Astronaut, even if I wasn’t too excited about the execution.

For me, this is such a beautiful and important story with a wonderful message. I loved the journey that the character went through and all the exciting scenes drawn throughout.

All of that said, was there a rhyme scheme? Cause sometimes it felt like the author was trying for one only to not try a page later. I also didn’t love some of the “when I’m an astronaut” statements, as though the little girl could not be those things presently and would have to wait until she was an astronaut. It would have all been tied in better if she’d incorporated some of what she is now and how those matched.

All in all, it’s a very cute book with a great goal, but it could have been better.

Gender and racial stereotypes have no place in this book. This story is all about what it takes to become an astronaut and how it is an achievable dream for any child. The main character is a young black girl and often in STEM careers, girls and black children are often discouraged, or do not have the same opportunities to reach their goals. Seeing this kind of representation in books is so critically important for kids.

There are strong messages and themes of self-confidence, determination and perseverance, as well as going after your dreams no matter what others say. The book goes over what an astronaut does, but the best part is the focus on the character traits that an astronaut will need to develop and show. There is easy text with some repetition making it easy for young readers to join in.

This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating social-emotional skills and topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.

I loved this one! The words were kept to a minimum on each page so my kids were invested the whole time and able to pay attention. The illustrations were also beautiful! We had a lot of fun with this one!

Review of eBook

When I’m an astronaut, a young girl says, I will reach for the stars. I will study, practice, learn, and when launch day arrives, I will be over the moon with excitement!

When I’m an astronaut, I’ll carry hopes and dreams for many; I’ll be curious, adventurous, and brave. I’ll make the impossible possible, explore the unknown, and go where no one has gone before.

=========
Third in the author’s Inspirational Careers for Kids picture book series, this book helps young readers explore the world and work of astronauts. Colorful illustrations depict the various aspects of an astronaut’s life and work. With its accurate portrayal of astronauts and the lure of space exploration, it is sure to be inspiring for many young readers, particularly those with an interest in space travel and exploration.

Designed to encourage young readers, especially girls, to dream and to consider non-traditional occupations and fields of study, this book is a perfect fit with STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] education programs.

There are coloring pages to download from the author’s website [www.samanthapillay.com]; there is also an interesting and informative explanation of the images in the book on the site. An activity book is also available for purchase.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Samantha Pillay and NetGalley
#WhenImanAstronaut #NetGalley

I love that this series is aimed at girls and STEM! The illustrations are cute and engaging! It was fun reading about space in this book. My only small complaint is that it makes it sound like she's waiting until she's an astronaut to do some of these things that she could be doing now. Like "When I'm an astronaut, I'll see humanity as one." I feel like that's something we can support and encourage kids to do now not when they achieve their dreams but other than those few pages the book is encouraging and uplifting!

When I'm an Astronaut conveys a beautiful message about pursuing one's dreams and being brave enough to dream big. The idea is inspirational, I was just not too fond of the illustrations. They had a computerized look that lacked the subtlety you can find in more traditional illustrations.

When I’m and Astronaut by Samantha Pillay

Nonfiction
" ‘When I’m an Astronaut’ gives children the opportunity to dream, and dream big. Sometimes, children don’t know that there are endless career possibilities. Sometimes, they don’t know what skills they need to pursue a dream field. With this book as a guide, they can start thinking what they might want to do when they grow up. They might want to be an Astronaut. We learn that many skills are required to be an astronaut. The reader can start working now on the science, the math , and physical fitness that they know they’ll need to succeed later. The words are simple enough for elementary grade level. The reader can envision themselves orbiting above the earth as an astronaut. And that’s only the beginning. I hope some child’s dream comes true someday, and all because they read this book long ago. ”

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher, for the DRC.

It’s rare when powerful words and ideas are seamlessly connected to the artwork, The assertive messages from our aspiring astronaut. The power of a person’s conviction. The astounding textures and colour in the meticulous illustrations will captivate the young reader. Make this book part of your teaching day.

This is a cute book with a simple concept at heart, a young girl describing what it will be like when she is an astronaut. The content of the book is as complex as you want to make it as a reader or teacher; you can read the text and enjoy the colorful and beautiful illustrations or you can take each page and dive deeper into what the details mean as part of a space unit. My 6 year old was interested in the details of the illustrations and they led to great questions and discussions.

I received an electronic ARC from Samantha Pillay through NetGalley.
Readers take this journey with the young girl who dreams of being an astronaut. They see her vision of the future and what she will accomplish "when I am an astronaut." The visuals are stunning as they bring her dreams to life. I appreciate the encouragement children to dream and work toward their futures. This series offers younger readers a chance to see the stated careers and to think about what they want their career to be. Looking forward to more books from this team.

Thank you to Netgalley who gave me this ebook in exchange for a honest review. I read this book at exactly the right time. NASA is currently trying to launch Artemis 1. It is a lunar launch that is not “manned” with all white males. Jessica Watkins and Stephanie Wilson, black women, are crew members. I hope that teachers get this book and read it to their students when Artemis 1 is finally launched. The pattern language is engaging and encourages children to "chime in" and make predictions. Pillay addresses many of the requirements and skills needed to be an astronaut, which opens the door to more research and reading. I discovered that the author has written several books with the pattern," When I’m a… "After reading a few, invite children to write their own.

This book tells the story of a young girl imaging what it would be like to be an astronaut. The font is large and accessible and the text is fairly simple and uses several sight words and decodable words. I really like that the phrase “when I’m” is used instead of “if I” to show that this young girl can and will reach her dreams. This is particularly important because she is female and black. Empowering young girls and people of colour with such a simple affirmative phrases is a great step towards helping more people see their own potential. As a grade 3 teacher, I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-9 range. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

Such an empowering book for kids, especially girls. I love how it encourages STEM from a young age. It emphasizes the importance of dreaming big, hard work, determination, practice, and doing well in school in order to reach goals. The illustrations are beautiful too!

The artistry in this book was life giving. I can’t wait to hold up a physical copy for my own little girls to see themselves and dream the way the book tell them they can! I loved this book! Highly recomend!

I loved this book! It is a great way to get kids thinking about career possibilities and start thinking that the sky is the limit! This will definitely inspire future astronauts!!