SALLY RIDE

The latest in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series focuses on the first American woman in space.

This brief, well-written biography begins with Sally Ride’s childhood and ends with Ride starting a company that produced science books for children; it’s not until the timeline in the backmatter that readers learn she died in 2012. The book stresses Ride’s dedication to learning; she’s described as “studying physics in college,” though what that entailed gets little explanation. When NASA opened up its pool of astronauts to scientists, Ride applied and, along with five other women, was accepted. The text doesn’t mention that they were the first women astronauts, though the backmatter does clarify this point, and the book does later refer to Ride as “the first American woman to explore the universe beyond the bounds of Earth!” The author also touches on her invention of a robotic arm and her pilot’s license, her confidence in the face of sexism, and her feelings and accomplishments. The astronauts’ grief over the fatalities in the Challenger shuttle explosion occupies a page. The book is silent on her marriage to fellow astronaut Steven Hawley but discusses “her partner, Tam,” without using a pronoun (or citing their 27 years together). Most of the appealingly simple, subtly colorful illustrations feature the astronaut; where possible, racially diverse children appear.

An attractive treatment of an inspiring life.