Look Up!
by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
Interest age: 4 to 7
Reading age: 6+
Published by Puffin, 2019
About this book
Rocket wants to be the greatest astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller who has ever lived, just like Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space.
She’s so excited about seeing a meteor shower that she makes an announcement over the supermarket loudspeaker when the cashier isn’t looking, and hands out flyers to her fellow shoppers, much to her older brother Jamal’s disdain – after all, Jamal prefers to be looking down at his phone most of the time and not up at the stars. And when Jamal gets too into his gaming to take Rocket to the park to watch the meteor shower, what will she do? Fortunately a knock at the door provides a joyous solution…
Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola’s charming picture book gifts us with a gorgeous character in Rocket, a girl whose passion for all things space is as inspiring to the reader as her heroine Mae Jemison is to her. Adeola has a real talent for portraying expression, from teen Jamal’s sulks to Rocket’s jubilation at watching the stars.
Sprinkled with facts about meteors and space, this charming picture book is also a lovely representation of family, sibling relationships and one girl’s infectious enthusiasm.
What to read next
We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.
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Look Up! is an award-winning picture book that has won hearts everywhere. Illustrator Dapo Adeola – who has also been BookTrust's Writer-Illustrator in Residence – is here to give some brilliant book suggestions for fans of chatterbox Rocket and her passion for the stars.
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