When I'm an Astronaut is an empowering book for young girls who dream of space, adventures, and the thrill of knowledge!

Dr. Samantha Pillay creates an encouraging and engaging tale of a young girl who aspires to explore space...going not just beyond the soundbarrier - but also beyond gender stereotypes!

As a parent of a wish-to-be astronaut, I love this book. The illustrations are bright and colorful and the words are encouraging for youngsters with big dreams!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of plot:
An unnamed Black girl has dreams to be an astronaut. She lays out how she'll successfully become one.

Pros about the book:
✔️ Important message for kids to aim high!
✔️ Black girl aiming to be an astronaut = inspiration to Black kids
✔️ Simple story

Cons about the book:
❌ Not a big fan of the drawings of people

Would I recommend this book? Sure.

Love this book. This book definitely Made Kids in love with physic and math. Such a fun read and beautiful art

I am trying to find new children's books for my niece that was just born. And this is definitely one I would add to her collection.

I love that it is about a little girl dreaming of being an Astronaut. I think it is very empowering and important for more books like this to be out there.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and Samantha Pillay for this opportunity to read ARC..

This is a beautiful book. The illustrations are gorgeous. It is a good easy read for children. I like that it's using a female and a more unconventional career. Although we have had female astronauts probably not as many as we should. This is definitely I would see as a stem-related book for children especially for girls. On the back of the book it was an interesting read about the author. She became the first female in South Africa to a specialized field as a doctor. Plus she can't overcame dysplasia as a child and took her years to walk. She writes other books about females gender breaking stereotypes in children's books and other books as well. The book also has a website listed where parents can print off coloring sheets from the story for children which I think is great to make that connection with the message.. The author is coming out with another book in 2023. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody for teachers in classrooms, ECE and families.

With simple text and a predictable pattern this book could stretch from a read at bedtime to a book that kids (especially girls) read over and over again. The genuine message of encouragement for all girls to take an interest in science is felt on each page. The message of wonder, excitement, and perseverance fills each page.

Both boys & girls should learn at an early age that STEM careers are open to all people. Ms. Pillay does an excellent job of describing what an astronaut will need to do and, through her website, offers more in-depth information about astronauts and the images used in the book should you want to explore further with your child. Having a girl of color and the flag showing the earth, not a specific country, strengthens the point that this is for everyone.

Beautiful photos, simple to read, and a positive way of reinforcing women and people of color in STEM careers.
I would recommend this book to everyone with children.

This was my first book from the “When I’m a…” series. Very cute book with incredible artwork. I love the women In stem representation and how the author shows that it’s a lot of hard work and perseverance to be an astronaut. My daughter enjoyed the book as well!

A perfect book to introduce children to STEM and dare them to dream high. Even I, an adult, just realized that astronauts is a difficult job and need a high commitment. Nice book

It's very important to break career gender and race stereotypes, and information about the author's background is truly inspiring. However, I didn't like the illustrations. I expected something similar to the art in the "Little People, Big Dreams" series. It's just not my style.

I love seeing the representation here and the messages it sends to both girls and BIPOC readers!

This is a very basic book, though by the artwork I would have guessed it was catering to a slightly older age range.
The text placement on some of the pages could have been different to increase ease of reading. Cute book overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Author for this eARC!

This book is full of beautiful pictures and tells a great message for girls with STEM dreams. I wish there was a bit more breakdown or STEM information on each page, but I enjoyed the story and illustrations of the book.

Cute kids book. I would prefer books more about what an astronaut does, but that’s just my preference.

This book will help children understand they can reach for anything, dream big! Will help them understand doing things for the greater good, taking care of themselves, etc. I enjoyed the pictures as well!

First of all, I truly love that the main character talking about what they will do when they become an astronaut is a female person of color. That in and of itself makes this book worth getting for kids.
I have a little girl in my family who dreams of being an astronaut, she will love this. She knows how much it takes to become one, and she is determined to make it. Just like this book.

Cute book with a positive message for being whatever you want to be! My daughter enjoyed the simple pictures but wished the book had been longer.

Thank you Netgalley and Samantha Pillay for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This was a quick but cute read. The illustrations were really lovely to look at, the illustrator did a great job. All of the colors and attention to detail were lovely. The story was simple but good. I liked seeing a girl- especially one of color- as the astronaut, that representation was great. Simple but inspiring!

I thought this was a great book. I loved that it highlights STEM. The illustrations were nice. The message of the book was great and I hope it inspires young people to follow their dreams.

I just loved this book - the illustrations and the story are inspiring to all kids ! If you have young children in your life, I highly recommend this one !

The concept of this book (and series) is excellent, and I love the idea of empowering young girls to be anything they want to be when they grow up, but the execution didn’t cut it. The text was bland and not catchy and the illustrations were only just fine. Unfortunately, I have a hard time seeing my kids sitting through this with excitement and enthusiasm. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.