With thanks to the author, publishers Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Little People, BIG DREAMS series continues by telling the story of another important person from history, who led from the front and in doing so paved the way for others to follow. In this case, that person is Katherine Johnson, a pioneer of the early NASA space programs whose abilities as a mathematician played a major role in enabling man to travel to and return safely from space, and ultimately to walk on the moon.

With the help of her supportive family, Katherine overcame poverty and racism in her early years to excel in her education and subsequent career, and become an inspiration to young girls everywhere through showing that, by believing in her abilities and staying true to herself, she was able to achieve great things.

Another fantastic book in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series!

This series is amazing! I love how educational it is even for a young age and the illustrations are lovely. A very inspirational book for all!

That was such a great book! I had learned of Katherine Johnson through a movie, and I found her so inspiring. This book is great and so important, especially for black girls to know that they can too become like Katherine!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.


Once again a win for this amazing series of books. I knew nothing of Katherine Johnson until this afternoon and I've already told 2 people about her. What a remarkable woman that did not let the color of her skin nor her gender dictate where she belongs. I don't see myself being that strong

Katherine Johnson is such an important figure in our history. Not only because of her accomplishments but also because she serves as a fantastic inspiration to young girls. This picture biography explains her life well but does not go into much detail about the racism that she had to deal with constantly.

This is an excellent biography and will be a great addition to any library. This will be adored by children!

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and Net Galley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

I love all these books! Great illustrations and such an important story to highlight. If you haven’t seen it, Katherine Johnson’s story is depicted alongside others in Hidden Figures. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC for #KatherineJohnson from #NetGalley

This is the first time I made acquaintance of Katherine Johnson, whom I thought was a mathematic teacher. But she did more than that to be covered in such a wonderful series, isn't she? Yes, she was one of the brain behind the space mission that landed Neil Armstrong to the moon. Now am in awe of such a dedicated woman, wh0m through her hardship of being a black, can manage to do great things. Always love the works of Madame Sanchez Vegara, whom always assured children that they have role models to look up to.

I have read most of the books on this series and love them all.. I found this one very informative and more complete, The only thing that I would changed is the color of the cover.

This is such a wonderful addition to the Little People Big Dreams series! I loved reading Katherine Johnson's story - it brought to mind images from the movie Hidden Figures. The end of the book gives the powerful reminder that "when you find what you love to do, you must give it your all." I think that's a great lesson for kids who are reading this book and learning about the incredible work that Katherine did and the path that got her to NASA.

It's always fascinating to read about the intelligent and capable women who helped to accelerate the space program in the U.S. and be reminded of their incredible contributions toward making huge steps in history happen. The illustrations in this book are great and help to support the story being told on each page. This is definitely an excellent story to have as part of the collection - and a great historical figure that can inspire young people today. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

Katherine Johnson is a children's picture book about an African American mathematiciam whose calculations helped put a man on the moon. The book spotlights how racist policy served as an obstacle for her career. From university student, to teacher, to calculation reviewer, to engineer, the book follows her through all the steps in her career. I would recommend this book for ages 5-8. This book is an excellent addition to a classroom and a home library to increase childrens content about African American history or Women in STEM. Many adults would recognize the Katherine Johnson from the recent historical drama film, Hidden Figures.

The illustrations of this book are painted with generous detail. I love the way hair is styled and decorated, and the diversity of facial expressions are a real talent of this artist. My favorite pictures are the university campus, with its flowering pink trees, and the award ceremony for her receiving the Medal of Freedom, just because of how wonderful Obama's smile is.

Thanks to Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Quarto Publishing Group for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Johnson is a new biography for young readers in the Little People, Big Dreams series. These are all delightful and exuberant little books which cover the lives of famous cultural, science, arts, and innovative icons while maintaining an age-appropriate level of detail. Due out 7th Jan 2025 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Succeeding throughout her life despite formidable hurdles in place because of the time period (mid 20th century) and area in which she was born (WV), as well as being a female person of color, Katherine Johnson was a wonderfully brilliant applied mathematician who refused to be cowed and whose expertise played a significant part in the early manned space program's success.
Written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara it's written in clear accessible language. The gentle and sweetly whimsical illustrations are well done. The art by Jemma Skidmore is appealing and colorful and supports the text very well. The art is rich in small subtle details which bear a closer look (like the school scenes, her studies, her university days, and her work at NASA and even her acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama).

Well written and appealing, all of these little books are worthwhile and enchanting. This one is a worthy addition. The author/publisher have also included a short timeline with photos in the back of the book as well as suggestions for further reading.

Five stars. This would make a superlative reading circle book, classroom library book, or gift. Mrs. Johnson was an intelligent and beloved figure and has become an icon for a more hopeful and cooperative future, an inspiration for girls choosing STEM educations, and this little book is a nice introduction to her life and work for the youngest generation.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Part of the Little People, Big Dreams series, which aims to educate children about historical heroes, this instalment is about NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. It follows her journey from a young girl with a love for numbers, to the first Black woman at a Virginian university, to doing the calculations for rocket launches and ensuring the safe return of astronauts, to finally receiving a medal commemorating her life’s work. Her story is really inspiring, and shows that you can do anything you put your mind to, even if the world says you can’t. It is a great little storybook, which kids will enjoy and be inspired by.

A well deserved new edition to the ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ collection. Katherine Johnson’s contribution to science was long overlooked so this a welcomed addition to the anthology.
It’s a lovely introduction into her life and career for small children and I’ll definitely be buying my daughter a copy upon release.

Katherine Johnson by Maria isabel sanchez vegara is an amazing and informational children's picture book dictating the life of Katherine Johnson, one of my favorite people to learn about in history class. This is definitely a book to add to the family book shelf.

The latest in the Little People, Big Dreams series is about Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who overcame the racial and gender limitations at the time with her work at NASA. As always with this series, the book was a delight! They always phrase the material in such a kid-friendly way, and I love the illustration style!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Learn about the incredible story of Katherine Johnson! The trailblazer whose calculations changed the future of space exploration.

Little Katherine loved learning and her favorite subject was math. In class, she worked so hard that she was able to move up to high school four years early! Due to the racist laws of the time, Katherine's family had to move town for her to go to a school where Black students were admitted. After high school and college, she was accepted to one of West Virginia's top universities, and was the first Black woman to attend.

In 1953, she joined the U.S. space agency, which later became NASA. Alongside other talented African American women, Katherine's mathematical skills were essential to the early successes of the space programme. She was part of the team that planned the Apollo 11 mission which landed the first people on the moon! Katherine’s tenacity and expertise led to the dawn of a new era for humankind, making her an inspiration to all of us.

This powerful book is the perfect gift for STEM and space enthusiasts. It features quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of Katherine's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

As the children's librarian and family curator, I am keen on acquiring, gifting, or endorsing books that authentically depict the richness of Black individuals across the diaspora, particularly African Americans. To assess a book's suitability, I consider the subject matter, artwork, narrative, accuracy, and the overall impression—how did it leave us feeling? Did it provoke further interest or respect? Or was it off-putting? Were Black individuals portrayed respectfully in the illustrations, or did they appear foreign and inhuman?

Upon reviewing these aspects, I've concluded that the highlight of the book for me was the factual timeline at the end. However, I have decided not to include this book in our collection at present.

Another fantastic book from the Little People, Big Dreams series. My son and I love reading these books together, especially when it's people we haven't heard of before. One thing that annoyed me about this particular book was the word math rather than maths. I guess it's written for an American audience rather than a UK one.

I'd like to start my review by extending a thank you to the author, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, the illustrator, Jemma Skidmore, the publisher, Frances Lincoln Childrens Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this children's picture biography of Katherine Johnson. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

I love the Little People, Big Dreams series, and this one is no exception. This book tells the store of a young Black scientist from West Virginia who faced a huge amount of struggle and difficulty in her career at NASA. Her contributions to space exploration, science, and the United States are enormous, and show that despite hardship, amazing people like Katherine are able to overcome and contribute to the society that doesn't fully value their humanity. I'm glad children will have a way to learn about such a valuable and commendable member of our history, and this book is full of cute illustrations and context about her story in order to share that story in an entertaining and engaging way. At the end, there is more context and a timeline with real pictures of Katherine Johnson in order to provide more information. I would definitely recommend this book for any child's library, but especially for little girls who need to see themselves in subjects like STEM. This would also be great for school and classroom libraries. Thanks again for the privilege!

Katherine Johnson is another children’s biography by Little People, BIG DREAMS. Written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Jemma Skidmore, this book features the story of Katherine Johnson’s life, her work and the challenges she faced. This biography is a must read for all children, at school and at home.

"Little People, Big Dreams’ releases yet another incredible book, this time spotlighting Katherine Johnson—a math enthusiast whose calculations transformed space exploration history. Having read many books from this series, I'm familiar with their charming illustrations and fascinating facts, along with the biographical timeline and photos that vividly bring each story to life. This book is an ideal gift for STEM enthusiasts and young girls inspired to dream big and achieve even bigger.