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Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math...really good.
They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.
In this illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.
They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.
In this illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 688 reviews
February 26, 2019
I have now read the full novel of this, seen the movie of this and read the children’s book of this. Obviously, the children’s book misses out on so much, but it’s a great introduction for children. The good thing about it is you can get a feel for the bigger picture or overview of what really happened. I mean, it really is an amazing true story in American history.
The artwork is nice and I like how really good at math these girls are. My niece is struggling with math at the moment and she is spending time practicing math to understand it. This book was good for her to see woman who were really good at math.
I told the nephew that many robots come from the work done at NASA and he was interested in the story then. He was disappointed to not see any, but he gave this 3 stars. The niece gave this 4 stars.
The artwork is nice and I like how really good at math these girls are. My niece is struggling with math at the moment and she is spending time practicing math to understand it. This book was good for her to see woman who were really good at math.
I told the nephew that many robots come from the work done at NASA and he was interested in the story then. He was disappointed to not see any, but he gave this 3 stars. The niece gave this 4 stars.
December 4, 2020
I have seen the movie, so I’m very familiar with this story and I was looking forward to seeing if this book would be appropriate for my future nephew. The artwork in the book was beautiful and it was written well, however, I had one major issue with this book. If a child were to read this book, I don’t think that they would be able to remember the names and achievements of each of these four incredible women. The story jumped quickly from one women to the other and briefly covered each woman. I wish that this book would’ve been longer or that each of these four women would’ve had their own picture book about them so that children can remember these amazing women better. Despite that flaw, it is still is a good book and I’m glad I read it.
September 30, 2020
So yes indeed, with regard to Laura Freeman's bright and boldly descriptive accompanying artwork (which really does expressively and wonderfully totally and utterly compliment Margot Lee Shetterly's presented text) as well as the factual and thematic details which Shetterly gives us readers on and about Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden (and of course also the information on NASA, the Cold War, the so-called Space Race, and also the Civil Rights Movement and the fight against segregation), Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race really does majorly and wonderfully shine (presenting both textually and illustratively not only absolutely and essential need to know facts and data but also showing just how difficult it generally was for women but in particular for African American women to be taken seriously and to be approached with the respect they deserved with regard to their careers etc. in the 1950s and 1960s, and with NASA, these math and engineering oriented jobs were actually supremely important and necessary for space travel to be successful, for astronauts like John Glenn and company to not only lift off but to lift off safely and to later also return safely).
However, as much as on an entirely thematic level I do wholeheartedly appreciate and have also enjoyed reading and being majorly enlightened by Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (albeit that I do have to wonder a bit why Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race does not include a bibliography with suggestions for further study and reading) and would therefore always strongly recommend the book (for older children beyond the age of nine or so since Margot Lee Shetterly's text certainly is wordy and also contains some rather sophisticated vocabulary choices), the narrational execution of Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, in other words Margot Lee Shetterly's writing style, well personally, I do find it rather majorly dry and sometimes even a trifle unengaging and distracting (and with the constant refrain that Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden were oh so very very good at math not only feeling rather too repetitive but also kind of making me as someone who has actually NEVER been all that good in math even feel somewhat insulted and denigrated, because yes, that constant repetition of math superiority also kind of makes it seem as though the author, as though Margot Lee Shetterly is really rubbing this in so to speak, and many of us with less than stellar math skills do in fact and indeed have some not so great memories of school math and of math teachers being dismissive and sometimes downright rude and sometimes even massively bullying).
And therefore, while I do think that Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race is a very important picture book biography on a very necessary topic, I do have to admit that the too dry and sometimes a bit tedious and monotonous style of Margot Lee Shetterly's literary expression does end up making me consider Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race with only three stars, a very high and appreciative three stars to be sure, but not yet four stars.
However, as much as on an entirely thematic level I do wholeheartedly appreciate and have also enjoyed reading and being majorly enlightened by Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (albeit that I do have to wonder a bit why Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race does not include a bibliography with suggestions for further study and reading) and would therefore always strongly recommend the book (for older children beyond the age of nine or so since Margot Lee Shetterly's text certainly is wordy and also contains some rather sophisticated vocabulary choices), the narrational execution of Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, in other words Margot Lee Shetterly's writing style, well personally, I do find it rather majorly dry and sometimes even a trifle unengaging and distracting (and with the constant refrain that Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden were oh so very very good at math not only feeling rather too repetitive but also kind of making me as someone who has actually NEVER been all that good in math even feel somewhat insulted and denigrated, because yes, that constant repetition of math superiority also kind of makes it seem as though the author, as though Margot Lee Shetterly is really rubbing this in so to speak, and many of us with less than stellar math skills do in fact and indeed have some not so great memories of school math and of math teachers being dismissive and sometimes downright rude and sometimes even massively bullying).
And therefore, while I do think that Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race is a very important picture book biography on a very necessary topic, I do have to admit that the too dry and sometimes a bit tedious and monotonous style of Margot Lee Shetterly's literary expression does end up making me consider Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race with only three stars, a very high and appreciative three stars to be sure, but not yet four stars.
July 27, 2018
Before rockets where launched into space and man walked on the moon, a group of underrepresented women worked in shadows. Hired as computers, these women used their minds, a ruler and paper for complex equations that set trajectories and made history. Of black descent, theirs was a story that had been previously been unknown. Now Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden finally have the spotlight and theirs is a story that rises higher than the rockets they help sent into space.
This is an incredible narrative. I watched the movie and was absolutely amazed. Inspiring and touching, this book should be part of every children's library. Dorothy, Mary, Katherine and Christine were hired as human computers. Dealing with intricate and complex math equations, their work helped NASA beat Russia in the space race. They were very good at math, very good. But for all their work, they were kept separate in a different space than their white counterparts and not given the proper recogntion. Having to deal with racism and sexism, these group of women pushed boundaries and made history. The illustrations are colorful a bright. The message universal. I already have the full length novel and look forward to reading it soon. As for this work, its a great book of even greater women.
This is an incredible narrative. I watched the movie and was absolutely amazed. Inspiring and touching, this book should be part of every children's library. Dorothy, Mary, Katherine and Christine were hired as human computers. Dealing with intricate and complex math equations, their work helped NASA beat Russia in the space race. They were very good at math, very good. But for all their work, they were kept separate in a different space than their white counterparts and not given the proper recogntion. Having to deal with racism and sexism, these group of women pushed boundaries and made history. The illustrations are colorful a bright. The message universal. I already have the full length novel and look forward to reading it soon. As for this work, its a great book of even greater women.
September 2, 2020
As someone who only watched the film (still plan on reading the book), I was hyped to see the story adapted for young readers! It should be included in every classroom/library.
The illustrations are charming and eye catching. The pages with the Freedom Riders and civil rights leaders were my favorite.
And reading this 7 months after Katherine's death is both fitting and poignant, somehow.
The illustrations are charming and eye catching. The pages with the Freedom Riders and civil rights leaders were my favorite.
And reading this 7 months after Katherine's death is both fitting and poignant, somehow.
February 2, 2019
Four women are profiled in this little book (my review for the grown up version) with lovely illustrations. How could I not enjoy reading about brilliant women doing brilliant things?
May 26, 2018
A wonderful telling of the African American women who helped launch the space program. In the bio for Katherine Johnson the author failed to mentioned her Medal of Freedom award.
May 3, 2018
This was very abbreviated. I guess I'll have to read the adult edition to get more information. Actually most of it just left me wondering and wanting more info. For example: in the half page long biographies at the back, Katherine Johnson contributed calculations to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. I can see why that was so important, no question. However, that was a long time ago and she is still alive (according to Wikipedia) at age 99. She didn't do anything noteworthy since 1969? At least her retirement date from NASA could have been noted. This feeling of incompleteness is also true for Dr. Darden. I also felt as though these people were presented as very isolated from the whole team at NASA. Did any of them mentor the other 3 "hidden figures"? Did they even know each other? Nasa is a huge place, although kids might not realize that.
This is an attractive book but could have been much more without necessarily being much longer. A few sentences here and there would have made a big difference.
This is an attractive book but could have been much more without necessarily being much longer. A few sentences here and there would have made a big difference.
February 28, 2018
I could do with a bit more explicitness around “because racism” — I think segregation is presented mostly as “separate spaces” and less “also not equal & danger.” But overall, it’s a beautiful book & gives brief bios of each of the four women. I also think there could have been a bit more math. Interested to read the grownup book & what made it to this version. (This library hold came through first.)
June 30, 2018
Thanks to the book by the same name for adults, as well as the successful movie based on that book, many people know the story of the four African-American women who helped NASA send men into space. Now the author and an illustrator have teamed up to bring the story to children.
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were “really good" at math, and they loved it enough to want to make a career out of it. Dorothy Vaughan got interested during WWII, out of a desire to serve the country by working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics [NACA], the government agency that designed airplanes. This was in the 1940’s, when “computers” were actually persons who did math by hand. But the government agency was in the state of Virginia, where “Jim Crow” laws were in effect.
[Jim Crow is a term adapted from the song “Jump Jim Crow” performed by a white minstrel in blackface. It came to mean the social customs, policies, and laws put in place to maintain the hierarchy of whites over blacks. The Jim Crow Era lasted from the end of Reconstruction after the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.]
Thus, in Virginia, blacks and whites could not eat in the same restaurants, drink from the same water fountains, use the same restrooms, attend the same schools, sit by each other in theaters, and so on.
But Dorothy had confidence that she was so good at math, the NACA would overlook her color. She was indeed offered a job at NACA’s Langley Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, in 1943, although she had to work in a separate building with other black “computers.” She stayed on after the war, as the Americans were trying to build faster and safer planes.
In 1951, Mary Jackson got a job as a computer at Langley, helping test model airplanes in wind tunnels. Mary was also a computer but wanted to be an engineer. The obstacles were great: she was not only a woman, she was a black woman. But she refused to give up, and eventually became the first African-American female engineer at Langley.
Katherine Johnson applied to the lab in 1953, doing math that analyzed the effects of turbulence on airplanes. Being so good at what she did also helped her, like the others, overcome the barriers put in her way on account of being both black and female.
In the 1950’s, Langley bought a machine computer, and Dorothy helped program the machines. She also taught other black computer women to program.
In 1957, Russia launched Sputnik into space, and now the “space race” was on. NACA changed its name to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, and the people at Langley were tasked with figuring out how to send astronaut John Glenn into space and back to earth safely. Katherine helped calculate the trajectories for the rocket. Even though NASA was now using machine computers, Glenn wanted Katherine to double-check the machine computer’s calculations before he would get into the rocket. Only when she confirmed them did he blast off into space.
Christine Darden came to Langley in 1967. As the author reports, Christine wanted to become an engineer, and thanks to Dorothy, Mary, and Katherine, she knew it was possible.
NASA meanwhile, was now working on getting a man to the moon:
“The next adventure wouldn’t be easy and would require lots of tests and lots more numbers. But Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine knew one thing: with hard work, perseverance, and a love of math, anything was possible.”
The book concludes with a timeline that goes from 1903 (the first powered flight) to 1969 (the first humans landing on the moon). The career spans of Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine are also shown on the timeline. Short biographies follow for each woman - “Meet the Computers.” Finally, there is a glossary, and an Author’s Note. In the Note, Shetterly writes:
“It’s my hope that the heroines of Hidden Figures will spark the imaginations of the next generation of readers - and the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers - and encourage them to ride their dreams as high as their talent and determination will take them.”
The terrific illustrations by Laura Freeman use bold colors to display the well-researched historical events the book describes. Her artwork is simple, and yet attitude is all over the faces of these four determined women! Freeman includes so many clever but subtle touches. She adds patterns to clothes and math symbols to dreams. To depict changes during the Civil Rights movements, she shows a diverse group of people holding hands, presumably inside a bus, while images of Civil Rights icons appear through the windows.
And Freeman realized her own dreams in becoming an artist. I love this reminiscence by the illustrator in an interview:
“. . . .I was about five when, after looking at a beautiful children’s book, I asked my mom about the pictures and she told me that it was someone’s job to create them. I thought: ‘Wow, that’s a job?’”
Evaluation: It’s so gratifying to see more books for kids about women who persisted against huge odds to make a difference in any field, but especially those of science and math. The book isn’t as exciting as the film of course, but it is perfect for the younger audience for whom it is intended.
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were “really good" at math, and they loved it enough to want to make a career out of it. Dorothy Vaughan got interested during WWII, out of a desire to serve the country by working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics [NACA], the government agency that designed airplanes. This was in the 1940’s, when “computers” were actually persons who did math by hand. But the government agency was in the state of Virginia, where “Jim Crow” laws were in effect.
[Jim Crow is a term adapted from the song “Jump Jim Crow” performed by a white minstrel in blackface. It came to mean the social customs, policies, and laws put in place to maintain the hierarchy of whites over blacks. The Jim Crow Era lasted from the end of Reconstruction after the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.]
Thus, in Virginia, blacks and whites could not eat in the same restaurants, drink from the same water fountains, use the same restrooms, attend the same schools, sit by each other in theaters, and so on.
But Dorothy had confidence that she was so good at math, the NACA would overlook her color. She was indeed offered a job at NACA’s Langley Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, in 1943, although she had to work in a separate building with other black “computers.” She stayed on after the war, as the Americans were trying to build faster and safer planes.
In 1951, Mary Jackson got a job as a computer at Langley, helping test model airplanes in wind tunnels. Mary was also a computer but wanted to be an engineer. The obstacles were great: she was not only a woman, she was a black woman. But she refused to give up, and eventually became the first African-American female engineer at Langley.
Katherine Johnson applied to the lab in 1953, doing math that analyzed the effects of turbulence on airplanes. Being so good at what she did also helped her, like the others, overcome the barriers put in her way on account of being both black and female.
In the 1950’s, Langley bought a machine computer, and Dorothy helped program the machines. She also taught other black computer women to program.
In 1957, Russia launched Sputnik into space, and now the “space race” was on. NACA changed its name to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, and the people at Langley were tasked with figuring out how to send astronaut John Glenn into space and back to earth safely. Katherine helped calculate the trajectories for the rocket. Even though NASA was now using machine computers, Glenn wanted Katherine to double-check the machine computer’s calculations before he would get into the rocket. Only when she confirmed them did he blast off into space.
Christine Darden came to Langley in 1967. As the author reports, Christine wanted to become an engineer, and thanks to Dorothy, Mary, and Katherine, she knew it was possible.
NASA meanwhile, was now working on getting a man to the moon:
“The next adventure wouldn’t be easy and would require lots of tests and lots more numbers. But Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine knew one thing: with hard work, perseverance, and a love of math, anything was possible.”
The book concludes with a timeline that goes from 1903 (the first powered flight) to 1969 (the first humans landing on the moon). The career spans of Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine are also shown on the timeline. Short biographies follow for each woman - “Meet the Computers.” Finally, there is a glossary, and an Author’s Note. In the Note, Shetterly writes:
“It’s my hope that the heroines of Hidden Figures will spark the imaginations of the next generation of readers - and the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers - and encourage them to ride their dreams as high as their talent and determination will take them.”
The terrific illustrations by Laura Freeman use bold colors to display the well-researched historical events the book describes. Her artwork is simple, and yet attitude is all over the faces of these four determined women! Freeman includes so many clever but subtle touches. She adds patterns to clothes and math symbols to dreams. To depict changes during the Civil Rights movements, she shows a diverse group of people holding hands, presumably inside a bus, while images of Civil Rights icons appear through the windows.
And Freeman realized her own dreams in becoming an artist. I love this reminiscence by the illustrator in an interview:
“. . . .I was about five when, after looking at a beautiful children’s book, I asked my mom about the pictures and she told me that it was someone’s job to create them. I thought: ‘Wow, that’s a job?’”
Evaluation: It’s so gratifying to see more books for kids about women who persisted against huge odds to make a difference in any field, but especially those of science and math. The book isn’t as exciting as the film of course, but it is perfect for the younger audience for whom it is intended.
February 20, 2025
Very informative, great pictures and I think children would like and understand it. 4.5 star.
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March 2, 2018I really like this illustration style (the matte paper).
Whereas the adult book and ensuing movie works to show how Dorothy, Mary, and Katherine were part of a community together, this picture book merely moves from one woman to the next. Because I read quickly, I would often find myself confused and then remember that oh yes, the name of this woman was different than the name of the previous woman I was reading about.
Although it talks about various legal and cultural barriers the women faced because of racism (and, implied, sexism), because each woman's story is isolated, I often felt sort of detached from that broader socio-cultural context while reading this book -- maybe because I read so fast? There's a 2-page spread after John Glenn and before Christine Darden (who started at Langley in 1967, as opposed to the other women who started there in the 1940s and 50s) about segregation ending (I loved the background image of 4 Civil Rights leaders, though I could only name Rosa Parks and MLK). I appreciated that its text ended with, "Across the country, people started to think about ways to bring equality to all Americans" -- because the "started to think about" undercut the potential idea that all of segregation etc. got solved in that moment in history (though okay, it is a bit disingenuous to imply that people were only just starting to think about it now).
After the narrative ends, there's a timeline, brief bios of each of the 4 women, a glossary, and an author's note.
Whereas the adult book and ensuing movie works to show how Dorothy, Mary, and Katherine were part of a community together, this picture book merely moves from one woman to the next. Because I read quickly, I would often find myself confused and then remember that oh yes, the name of this woman was different than the name of the previous woman I was reading about.
Although it talks about various legal and cultural barriers the women faced because of racism (and, implied, sexism), because each woman's story is isolated, I often felt sort of detached from that broader socio-cultural context while reading this book -- maybe because I read so fast? There's a 2-page spread after John Glenn and before Christine Darden (who started at Langley in 1967, as opposed to the other women who started there in the 1940s and 50s) about segregation ending (I loved the background image of 4 Civil Rights leaders, though I could only name Rosa Parks and MLK). I appreciated that its text ended with, "Across the country, people started to think about ways to bring equality to all Americans" -- because the "started to think about" undercut the potential idea that all of segregation etc. got solved in that moment in history (though okay, it is a bit disingenuous to imply that people were only just starting to think about it now).
After the narrative ends, there's a timeline, brief bios of each of the 4 women, a glossary, and an author's note.
February 11, 2018
I’m super excited to have a little easier book to share with students about these incredible women. My students were very intrigued by Hidden Figures last year when the movie came out, but the text of the book, even the children’s version, was inaccessible to some of my students. I’m happy to have this one as a step into the longer, more involved text. It may be a little hard to follow for some students since all the stories are somewhat combined and not clearly defined. The back matter, especially the timeline and biographies of each, will help I think!
May 31, 2018
This true story is inspiring, but the telling of it here is dry—especially for a children’s book. It seemed mostly a listing of facts. Repetition was used one time in the story and that was effective. The illustrations were well done. This could be useful for an elementary student writing a report about one of these women.
July 26, 2018
قصة ملهمة عن 4 نساء سمراوات كان لهم دور أساسي في إرسال رجال الفضاء للقمر رغم التفرقة العنصرية في ذلك الوقت
هي نسخة مبسطة للطفل من الكتاب الأساسي بنفس الاسم المخصص للكبار
تنبيه: يتطرق الكتاب لأشكال التفرقة العنصرية من ناحية اللون في أمريكا في ذلك الوقت
هي نسخة مبسطة للطفل من الكتاب الأساسي بنفس الاسم المخصص للكبار
تنبيه: يتطرق الكتاب لأشكال التفرقة العنصرية من ناحية اللون في أمريكا في ذلك الوقت
August 22, 2018
This is such a lovely picture book version of the book. Perfect for children so they can learn this important story of these incredible women.
February 11, 2018
I am grateful for a picture book edition of Hidden Figures that makes each woman's narrative accessible to our youngest readers. It tells the true stories of four black women: Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, and the important roles they played working for NASA. Their work as computers (mathematicians) and engineers was critical in developing aircraft that could fly faster, higher, and safer. Their labor extended beyond our planet to outer space.
The emphasis throughout is that each woman loved math and they were also really good at it (I love this about the book). They were persistent and determined, and trailblazers for change. I felt empowered by their stories and really enjoyed getting to know a little bit about them. This book includes a timeline of events, short bios, and a glossary of important terms. Thank you to Margot Lee Shetterly for her research and for teaching us about important women who are hidden no more.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Margot Lee Shetterly
The emphasis throughout is that each woman loved math and they were also really good at it (I love this about the book). They were persistent and determined, and trailblazers for change. I felt empowered by their stories and really enjoyed getting to know a little bit about them. This book includes a timeline of events, short bios, and a glossary of important terms. Thank you to Margot Lee Shetterly for her research and for teaching us about important women who are hidden no more.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race
Margot Lee Shetterly
June 26, 2018
The book is about four powerful women who worked in NASA and helped NASA to be successful. Now their stories inspire both women and African Americans. Also, it shows how African Americans were segregated and threatened not equal, then how they earned their rights. There is also a pretty good movie with the same name “Hidden Figures”. If you didn’t watch it yet, watch it as soon as possible. Different from the movie, they added one more women, Dr. Christine Mann Darden, to the book.
Illustrations are very detailed and meaningful. For example, women’s earrings are star, planet, and moon and there are pictures of civil rights activists.
There is a timeline which shows when the characters started to work at NASA and other important things between those years. And there is one-page information for each woman. They are short summaries but that is good to have more information about them. In the end, there is a glossary for hard words. That is good for young people so they will be able to look it up easily.
You should really read and watch “Hidden Figures”.
Illustrations are very detailed and meaningful. For example, women’s earrings are star, planet, and moon and there are pictures of civil rights activists.
There is a timeline which shows when the characters started to work at NASA and other important things between those years. And there is one-page information for each woman. They are short summaries but that is good to have more information about them. In the end, there is a glossary for hard words. That is good for young people so they will be able to look it up easily.
You should really read and watch “Hidden Figures”.
January 31, 2018
Phenomenal. This was loaned to me by a teacher and I've already ordered a copy for the library. Gorgeous art and a well-told story brings the history of the black women who helped shape NASA to life for elementary kids. In addition to the biographical aspect, the book uses very age appropriate language to talk about the social aspects of their achievements. It highlights some of the struggles faced by all African Americans during the civil rights era, as well as discussing the ways in which women were marginalized, particularly in the field of science. The language is plain and clear, but doesn't talk down to kids. And the illustrations are beautiful and multi-faceted. A page that tells about the changing culture -- how the work areas became integrated, among other important gains -- has a background image of the Freedom Riders seen through bus windows.
I can't wait to share this with my students!
I can't wait to share this with my students!
February 27, 2018
A picture book, children's version of Hidden Figures, of an adult non-fiction book of the same name. There is also a hit film also called Hidden Figures. This is a touching story of four African-American women who worked between 1941-1970 as computers for NASA to help the war effort in making jet planes fly faster and safer and later, rockets in the space program. The women survived discrimination both as females and as African-Americans. It is written in an interesting and comprehensible way that many kids can understand. Kids can also relate to these people and their experiences, a more difficult thing to do with such a complex subject. It is written very well.
June 21, 2020
This was absolutely adorable!!! I loved learning about the four computers - to of which are STILL ALIVE!?!?!? That’s insane!!! - and their truly amazing work. I can’t even imagine being good at math or liking math lol but for real they were/are remarkable women that made history and I wish they were more well known than they are ://
The drawing style was super super cute in this I really loved it, and it was a fun short, informative read. It’s free until the end of TODAY (21/06/20) as an ebook pretty much everywhere I think - at least on Amazon - so GO GET IT!!!
The drawing style was super super cute in this I really loved it, and it was a fun short, informative read. It’s free until the end of TODAY (21/06/20) as an ebook pretty much everywhere I think - at least on Amazon - so GO GET IT!!!
February 7, 2024
I needed this today, before bed. A wonderful nonfiction book about perseverance and never giving up even when others tell you it’s impossible. Beautiful reminder that my problems are so small when compared to how women in history have been treated and what those before us had to endure. Truly inspiring.
April 8, 2018
Black women in math and science who changed our world. An important book to have in the classroom.
February 26, 2018
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book tonight is the wonderful Hidden Figures: The True Story Of Four Black Women And The Space Race, written by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling and illustrated by Laura Freeman.
Based on Shetterly’s book of the same name, Hidden Figures examines the contributions of four remarkable women of color to the space and aeronautics industry from WWII to the height of the space race. Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Johnson were all good at math… VERY good. And math is what the government needs to build planes, then rockets, then craft capable of safely carrying and returning men to space. However, all four live in a time in which women, especially black women, are held back by racist and sexist laws and conventions. But these women knew that they had valuable gifts, so they fought, studied, and persisted to have their work recognized for the indispensable contribution it was. They and many other computers used their brilliance to further the space program and helped NASA touch the stars.
Anyone who’s familiar with the original book or the movie it was based on knows what a fantastic story this is. The women of Hidden Figures are remarkable, both in their natural intellect and the fortitude they showed in fighting for advancement and recognition, and this book does a good job of editing their stories down for young readers. Focusing on both their scientific and civil rights contributions, as well as giving an idea of the limitations black women faced at that time, it manages to tell a concise yet compelling story spread out over nearly 30 years. The illustrations are fabulous, staying grounded in reality yet adding just a touch of artistic flair to drive vital points home. The length is best for slightly older readers, though JJ made it through fine. A knockout that celebrates science, women, and people of color and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!
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February 3, 2018
Nonfiction Entry/Twin Text Entry #1
This book is a biography nonfiction book and tells the amazing story of four black women and their involvement in the space race. Their names are Dorothy Johnson Vaughan, Mary Winston Jackson, Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, and Dr. Christine Mann Darden. They were all really good at math and worked for The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at the Langley Laboratory in Hampton, VA. The book includes beautiful illustrations of the women and their work place. "Katherine Johnson was good at math and always asked questions."
This book reminded me of the fiction book Ada Twist, Scientist written by Andrea Beaty. This book tells the story of Ada who did not speak till age three. She was all over the place, following every sound, but never spoke. Once she spoke her first word she never stopped asking questions: "Why? How? When? What?" She never stopped experimenting and brought chaos to home and school, "But this much was clear about Miss Ada Twist: She had all the traits of a great scientist."
Both of these books are both great for primary grade levels because they are story books and easy for the younger kids to understand. Hidden Figures does talk about segregation, but it is written in a way that is easier for younger kids to comprehend. These books are good pairing because one is true story of four women that are mathematicians and scientists and the other book is a fiction book about a little girl that enjoys science and finding out information about her world. Both of these books also include black characters and representation is so important for students. There are not a lot of books that include characters of color and I think that is important for students. All students can be inspired from the women in Hidden Figures and little Ada Twist.
This book is a biography nonfiction book and tells the amazing story of four black women and their involvement in the space race. Their names are Dorothy Johnson Vaughan, Mary Winston Jackson, Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, and Dr. Christine Mann Darden. They were all really good at math and worked for The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at the Langley Laboratory in Hampton, VA. The book includes beautiful illustrations of the women and their work place. "Katherine Johnson was good at math and always asked questions."
This book reminded me of the fiction book Ada Twist, Scientist written by Andrea Beaty. This book tells the story of Ada who did not speak till age three. She was all over the place, following every sound, but never spoke. Once she spoke her first word she never stopped asking questions: "Why? How? When? What?" She never stopped experimenting and brought chaos to home and school, "But this much was clear about Miss Ada Twist: She had all the traits of a great scientist."
Both of these books are both great for primary grade levels because they are story books and easy for the younger kids to understand. Hidden Figures does talk about segregation, but it is written in a way that is easier for younger kids to comprehend. These books are good pairing because one is true story of four women that are mathematicians and scientists and the other book is a fiction book about a little girl that enjoys science and finding out information about her world. Both of these books also include black characters and representation is so important for students. There are not a lot of books that include characters of color and I think that is important for students. All students can be inspired from the women in Hidden Figures and little Ada Twist.
Read
November 1, 2018This historical fiction book was an awesome and informative read! The age range for this book is 4-8, however, I’m unsure if kindergartners and first graders will remain interested throughout the entire book. The illustrations are simply amazing, and I think the illustrations are key to keeping interests in this book. The vocabulary may be too advanced for younger kids. I like that there’s a lot of Social Studies in this book. Teachers could definitely use this book for a Social Studies lesson plan. The plot of the story is rich, and the women of color at the end prevail. The characters are real people that accomplished something major in history. The men in this story, gave the women a hard time, because women doing math isn’t ordinary according to men, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. The women in this story never gave up, and never giving up will result in accomplishing goals. This can show African American girls that they can do anything as long as they stay persistent. Furthermore, not only is this book influential for African American girls, but it’s also great for both girls and boys. It’s important that boys read books like this in order to break any stagnant gender roles they may have.
February 20, 2021
I appreciate the book's attempt to share the biographies of these four African American women with a younger audience. It is pretty text heavy and wouldn't work well as a read aloud, as there is so much information but not a lot of flow connecting the women's stories together. But perhaps that's because the women weren't all that connected in real life on a daily basis. I've come to realize that the movie took a lot of artistic license, and pivotal scenes in the movie didn't happen that way or at that time or to that person. That is disappointing, and when I hear people say that "the movie was better than the book," it concerns me because of fiction that people could view as fact--and we prefer the fiction because it's a more captivating storyline. While it may not be highly engaging, this book does shed light on the discrimination faced by these women and the kinds of traits that made them overcomers.
June 5, 2019
I love kids book biographies! I may have learned more from this than from the admittedly excellent movie in some ways. Gorgeous illustrations-- I especially loved the one on the time of Civil Rights which shows black and white people interspersed holding hands in solidarity.
"No one was better than Katherine at solving tricky math problems."
"Today we think of computers as machines, but in the 1940'2, computers were actual people like Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine. Their job was to do math."
"No one was better than Katherine at solving tricky math problems."
"Today we think of computers as machines, but in the 1940'2, computers were actual people like Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine. Their job was to do math."
March 31, 2018
Prejudice against women and math still exists (as proved by the Google engineer's article) and I don't think we can have too many biographies highlighting women in the field. I think it is wonderful that John Glenn specifically requested that Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson double-check the computer's calculations of his spacecraft's orbit!
I do wish the first 5? women mentioned in the author's note included their names.
I do wish the first 5? women mentioned in the author's note included their names.
April 1, 2018
This book was a great introduction to the women of "Hidden Figures" for young readers. It provides a great synopsis of the original book and movie and includes a brief biography of each woman. I highly recommend this book for children who dream big, especially girls of color who are "really good at math."
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