Astro Girl
Did you know that the word astronaut means star sailor? In this book, young Astrid yearns to sail the stars. Astrid and her father talk about all of the skills she must have to become an astronaut one day, such as eating from a tube and adjusting to zero gravity. Through bold, colorful illustrations and easy to read text, readers travel with Astrid and her father as they head to the space center to greet her mother, who is an astronaut just returning from space! Information pages at the back of the book provide short bios of notable female astronauts and additional facts about space travel that will inspire readers to continue to reach for the stars.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
After reading the story, children will enjoy pretending to be an astronaut in space. Incorporate some of the activities, such as sampling astronaut food, moon walking with wide and bouncy steps, or conducting science experiments. Add some other books about space travel to your library shelf; and gather props to encourage pretend astronaut play. Invite children to help create the props, and engage them in conversation about why those props are important to the work of an astronaut. Encourage children to use vocabulary from the book, such as asteroid, zero gravity, and experiment.
This story presents many opportunities to talk with young children about what it would be like to be an astronaut. Just as Astrid’s father asks her questions throughout the book, adults can ask their children similar questions. For example, when Astrid’s father asks her if she could eat food out of a tube or a package every day, adults can pause and ask their child the same question. When readers reach the end of the story, adults can point out that there is additional information on the last pages. Point to the pictures and read some of them, or ask children to point to a picture they would like you to read about. Adults can also ask children what else they wonder about space travel. Visit a library or website to research the answers together.