Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon
Published: June 2019
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rocket is a little girl with big dreams of becoming”the greatest astronaut, star catcher, space walker who has ever lived – like Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space.” She shares her passion with all who would listen by providing interesting facts about space like, “Did you know…meteors are bits of dust burning up in the atmosphere?” Or, “Did you know…meteor showers happen when Earth moves through the trail of dust left by a comet?” Rocket is incredibly smart and her enthusiasm is contagious. In fact, she convinces an entire community to join her in the park to experience the Phoenix meteor shower. Even her older brother Jamal comes along (with a little coaxing from Mom) as they share the most breathtaking experience-together.
I have so many stargazers and aspiring astronauts in my life and I think that Rocket Says Look Up! will inspire them to continue to press forward in pursuit of their dreams. When recommending this book to a student, I would also suggest You Should Meet Mae Jemison from the Ready-to-Read biography series (Simon & Schuster).
Rocket Say Look Up! is Nathan Bryon’s first book. He and illustrator Dapo Adeola made Rocket such a loveable, adorable character. I’d like to see more of Dapo Adeloa’s work in picture books.
2019 Meteor Shower Calendar from the Farmer’s Almanac (including dates and viewing tips): https://www.almanac.com/content/meteor-shower-calendar
Shout-Outs
Natahn Bryon | https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/134495/nathan-bryon.html
Dapo Adeola | https://www.penguin.co.uk/company/creative-responsibility/writenow/writenow/what-s-on-offer–nottingham/dapo-adeola.html
Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/Borrowed from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Find Rocket Says Look Up at your local indie bookstore: 
Amazon: Rocket Says Look Up!
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 