Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Katherine Johnson had a passion for numbers and made herself indispensable to the early space program.On the heels of the acclaimed book Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016), and the film of the same name, this picture book tells of one of NASA's human computers, Katherine Johnson. Katherine skipped both first and fifth grades because of her math skills, which put her ahead of her older brother in school. She finished eighth grade at age 10 and started college at 15. Throughout this compellingly told biography, the narrator compares social wrongs to miscalculated math problems, as in the sexist belief that "women could only be teachers or nurses. Katherine knew that was wrong—as wrong as 10 - 5 = 3." She also objected to segregation and to her exclusion from meetings at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory that had only ever been attended by men. Because she broke barriers that sought to limit her abilities, Katherine stands as an important example of persisting to make change. Illustrator Jamison beautifully conveys in illuminating watercolors both how much Katherine enjoyed numbers and how determined she was to succeed in a male-dominated field. Informative backmatter includes a historical timeline and notes from the author and illustrator.An excellent way to introduce young readers to an African-American female mathematician who deserves to be remembered and celebrated. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

Math came easy to Katherine Johnson while she was growing up. In the 1950s, when she was in her 30s, she was hired at NASA as a "computer" (a female mathematician who assisted the male engineers) and eventually worked her way up to the Apollo 11 project. Vignettes of Katherine's work miliar to aficionados of the 2016 film Hidden Figures pict her talent with calculations, the drama of early space travel, and the way both combined to put humans on the moon. There are a few missed opportunities st how groundbreaking Katherine's work was for the time, given her gender and race, isn't fully conveyed. Still, Slade, herself a rocket engineer, cleverly integrates topical concepts within the text, and the strong back matter includes a time line and source notes. For younger readers, the racist arguments Katherine's African American family faces are depicted as being "as wrong as 5 + 5 = 12." Wide pages offer appropriate room for the engaging mixed-media illustrations (don't miss the endpapers!), which wonderfully introduce, depict, and honor this STEM heroine.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

In 1953, Katherine Johnson started work as a "computer," or mathematician, for what would become NASA. During her career, Johnson calculated Alan Shepard’s First-American-in-Space flight path, John Glenn’s First-American-to-Orbit-Earth trajectory, and Apollo 11’s Race-to-the-Moon-and-Back flight path. Inspiring, upbeat, and clever, Slade's text highlights the racism, sexism, and other false beliefs that Johnson confronted. Equations, angles, and diagrams fill Miller Jamison's expressive, layered illustrations. Images of Johnson's work are appended. Timeline. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Katherine Johnson had a passion for numbers and made herself indispensable to the early space program.On the heels of the acclaimed book Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016), and the film of the same name, this picture book tells of one of NASA's human computers, Katherine Johnson. Katherine skipped both first and fifth grades because of her math skills, which put her ahead of her older brother in school. She finished eighth grade at age 10 and started college at 15. Throughout this compellingly told biography, the narrator compares social wrongs to miscalculated math problems, as in the sexist belief that "women could only be teachers or nurses. Katherine knew that was wrong—as wrong as 10 - 5 = 3." She also objected to segregation and to her exclusion from meetings at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory that had only ever been attended by men. Because she broke barriers that sought to limit her abilities, Katherine stands as an important example of persisting to make change. Illustrator Jamison beautifully conveys in illuminating watercolors both how much Katherine enjoyed numbers and how determined she was to succeed in a male-dominated field. Informative backmatter includes a historical timeline and notes from the author and illustrator.An excellent way to introduce young readers to an African-American female mathematician who deserves to be remembered and celebrated. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Slade explores the life of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. Johnson excelled in mathematics beginning in childhood but was frustrated by the lack of opportunities available to women of her era. Her perseverance and skills led her to work at a Virginia research center, where she made complex calculations, advocated for her right to attend meetings with male engineers, and eventually joined the NASA space team. Slade writes in clear, up-tempo prose, well paired with Jamison-s expressive mixed-media art, which presents Johnson as a self-assured figure in bright, jewel-toned clothing. Spreads also feature chalky mathematical computations, and the launch of Apollo 11-guided by Johnson-s meticulous calculations-is presented dynamically across three panels. An uplifting portrait of a no longer so -hidden- figure. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)