We’re reflecting on the positivity and inspiration of children’s literature, highlighting the book, Look Up! By Nathan Bryson.
This story focusses on a little girl called Rocket. On the day she was born a rocket went into space, so her mum named her Rocket.
Rocket is obsessed with space and wants everyone to witness The Phoenix Meteor Shower. She even makes her own flyers which she hands out around her town.
She prepares to one day go to space by building her own rocket ship, swinging extremely high to defy gravity and capturing rare and exotic life forms in her garden.
“All I know is that one day I’m going to be the greatest astronaut, star-catcher, space-traveler who has ever lived, like Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space.”
Inspired by this real astronaut, she takes her brother to the top of a hill at night and finally gets him to look up and witness the beauty of the meteor shower.
The real Mae Jemison is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut who became the first black woman to travel into space as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Jemison is an active public speaker who has spoken about promoting science and technology. "Having been an astronaut gives me a platform…but I'd blow it if I just talked about the Shuttle."