Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa reaches for the stars.Though young Ellen is transfixed by images of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, options for women were limited. Differences between her parents (her father, the son of Mexican immigrants, wouldn't speak Spanish at home; her mother hired a neighbor to teach the children Spanish) hint at their eventual divorce. Ellen and her mother love learning; she credits her mother for her own impressive academic achievements. Following college, Ellen works as an engineer; in 1978, the astronaut program decides to accept women and people of color, and two years later, she applies and embarks on several space missions. She eventually becomes the first Latine and second woman director of the Johnson Space Center. Her perseverance in the face of setbacks and reliance on teamwork come through clearly. The writing is excellent: Essential aspects of astronaut qualifications, training, and experience are described in clear detail, such as the feeling of G-force at takeoff. Brief quotations in a red font let us hear Ellen's voice. The presence of her flute in both text and images reflects the importance of music to her. Brilliant, sure-handed gouache illustrations add even more vivid life to the well-paced text. Swaths of color, varied blues balancing bright orange-yellows, intensify the realistic images, and frequent changes of perspective and layout will hold readers' attention. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A book sure to fly off shelves and into children's hands. (author's and illustrator's notes, chronology, selected bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 2–5 —The latest entry in Rappaport's "Big Words'' series centers around Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space. Ochoa grew up in a home filled with music and a love for learning, a granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and a girl growing up in the 1960s. A career in the sciences wasn't one that was easily accessible to her. But inspired by her mother, she excelled in school and fell in love with physics. After rigorous training and studies, the accomplished flutist and electrical engineer went on to become the first Latina in space. In accessible free verse, Rappoport details the hurdles that Ochoa had to overcome to reach her achievements. The author offers a thorough accounting of the subject's life. It doesn't stop at Ochoa's first visit to space; it also details the three flights that followed, her appointment as the first Latinx of the Johnson Space Center, and her mission to educate kids about STEM careers. Peppered throughout are relevant quotations from the astronaut. The text and illustrations combine to show Ochoa's personality and passion for education, music, and her career. The majestic art is done in gouache, ink, color pencil, and pastel. The paintings are reminiscent of Normal Rockwell's work and have incredible detail. Back matter includes author and illustrator notes, time line, bibliography, and source notes. VERDICT An excellent picture book biography of a groundbreaking Latina that soars. Add to all nonfiction shelves.—Shelley M. Diaz

ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Ellen Ochoa was 11 years old in 1969, when astronauts first walked on the moon. Though she found space exploration fascinating, she didn't think about becoming an astronaut, because NASA did not consider women or people of color for the job. In 1978, that changed. With a college degree in physics and advanced degrees in electrical engineering, Ochoa applied to become an astronaut, but she wasn't chosen. Undeterred, she earned a pilot's license. She worked as a NASA engineer for several years before becoming an astronaut. Ochoa became "the first Latina to go into space" and later directed the Johnson Space Center. Rappaport's informative text moves along at a good pace, and the illustrations awings painted with vibrant colors e lively. Highlights include scenes in which Ochoa relishes the challenges of astronaut training in the "Vomit Comet" and, later, operates the 50-foot robotic arm on the International Space Station. The back matter offers a source bibliography as well as Rappaport's thanks to Ochoa for her comments on the manuscript. A picture-book biography for tomorrow's astronauts.

Horn Book (Thu Sep 07 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut in space, said that when she was young, "No one would ever ask a girl, 'Do you want to grow up and be an astronaut?'" This picture-book biography cites her mother, who finished college later in life, and her lifelong love of learning as her biggest inspirations for breaking boundaries to blast off. Ochoa earned her doctorate from Stanford University in 1985, interviewed twice before being accepted into NASA's astronaut program in 1990, and finally realized her dream with a mission in 1993. The text is informative and lively and features Ochoa's own words, some of which are from interviews Rappaport did with the astronaut. She presents a well-rounded image of Ochoa's life, including her flute-playing in concerts on the ground and in space and outreach work to promote girls' education. Dominguez's detailed paintings (also created with Ochoa's input) give insight into Ochoa's entire journey of becoming an astronaut, from completing sci-fi-looking lab work in graduate school to brushing her teeth upside down in zero gravity. Pastel-hued scenes of Ochoa's training and flights into space -- in particular, a spread of her learning to parachute -- radiate the joy with which the astronaut approached her life's pursuit. Author and illustrator notes share information about researching and creating the book; a timeline and selected bibliography are also appended. Monica de los Reyes

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

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa reaches for the stars.Though young Ellen is transfixed by images of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, options for women were limited. Differences between her parents (her father, the son of Mexican immigrants, wouldn't speak Spanish at home; her mother hired a neighbor to teach the children Spanish) hint at their eventual divorce. Ellen and her mother love learning; she credits her mother for her own impressive academic achievements. Following college, Ellen works as an engineer; in 1978, the astronaut program decides to accept women and people of color, and two years later, she applies and embarks on several space missions. She eventually becomes the first Latine and second woman director of the Johnson Space Center. Her perseverance in the face of setbacks and reliance on teamwork come through clearly. The writing is excellent: Essential aspects of astronaut qualifications, training, and experience are described in clear detail, such as the feeling of G-force at takeoff. Brief quotations in a red font let us hear Ellen's voice. The presence of her flute in both text and images reflects the importance of music to her. Brilliant, sure-handed gouache illustrations add even more vivid life to the well-paced text. Swaths of color, varied blues balancing bright orange-yellows, intensify the realistic images, and frequent changes of perspective and layout will hold readers' attention. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A book sure to fly off shelves and into children's hands. (author's and illustrator's notes, chronology, selected bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)

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

A flutist and physicist becomes the first Latina to visit space in Rappaport and Dominguez’s inspirational biography of Ellen Ochoa (b. 1958). Beginning with her early life, detailed text describes how, Ochoa, one of five siblings, shared a love of learning with her mother. After watching the 1969 moon landing, Ochoa was intrigued by the idea of space exploration, but “the space program didn’t accept women.” In college, she majored in physics, then headed to graduate school for electrical engineering. After the astronaut program began accepting applications from women and people of color in 1978, and her first application saw her rejected, she continued to pursue her goal: “She took flying lessons... got a private pilot’s license... went to work for NASA.” Accepted into astronaut training in 1990, she went on to participate in four flights, even playing the flute in space. Dominguez’s engineering-like mixed-media art fittingly captures the underlying details around Ochoa’s determination and time spent in space. Creator notes and a timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)