Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician

by Lesa Cline-Ransome, Raúl Colón (Illustrator)

“A detail-rich picture book.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Straightforward and inviting.” — School Library Journal

From award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome and acclaimed illustrator Raúl Colón comes the sensitive, informative, and inspiring picture book biography of the remarkable mathematician Katherine Johnson, one of the NASA “human computers” whose work was critical to the first US space launch.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or astronauts walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used their knowledge, pencils, adding machines, and writing paper to calculate the orbital mechanics needed to launch spacecraft. Katherine Johnson was one of these mathematicians who used trajectories and complex equations to chart the space program. Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws were in place in the early 1950s, Katherine worked analyzing data at the NACA (later NASA) Langley laboratory.

In 1962, as NASA prepared for the orbital mission of John Glenn, Katherine Johnson was called upon and John Glenn said “get the girl” (Katherine Johnson) to run the numbers by hand to chart the complexity of the orbital flight. He knew that his flight couldn’t work without her unique skills.

President Barack Obama awarded Katherine Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and her incredible life inspired the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures . Get to know this incredible and inspirational woman with this beautifully illustrated picture book from an award-winning duo.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Stem, Mathematics

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I just finished reading Ms. Johnson’s autobiography, I decided to go straight to a picture biography of her. I was disappointed to find mistakes in the text such as assuming that her high school and college were in a city called Institute, rather than the name of the school. Some of what is in this book may not have been mentioned in her autobiography but I wonder. Katherine made it clear she counted everything she could but never mentioned counting the stars at nighttime as this book did. I’m not saying it couldn’t have happened. It might have. But it does feel like poetic exaggeration to me. I also thought having her in much the same dress over years worth of time at NASA was a bit silly.
This book was ok but not great by any means. I’m a bit surprised Raul Colon didn’t do a better job in this book.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed with Katherine Johnson and this children's story of her accomplishments. There is a lot to think about with Katherine's story and this author does a great job of making the complex issues of the time understandable to young people. I was cheering for her and so very proud of her.

The pictures are engaging and will have you talking about parts of the story that aren't in the words. At the end of the book, there is a page of additional information about this impressive individual. This is a great story that will help children understand the times as well as the spirit of determination and excellence.

Great book.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Johnson was good with numbers. So good what she graduated early, took college courses designed specially for her, and got a job with NASA- - all while battling prejudice against women and African-Americans. Her perseverance helped launch the first moon landings!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautifully illustrated book about Katherine Johnson who was one of the mathematicians with NASA. Just imagine that without her, Americans might have never been able to go to space or to the moon.

[JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this aloud to my 10 yo daughter. We marveled at how smart Katherine was and how she didn't let the fact that she was different from her peers keep her away from the things she loved and was good at.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long (for a picture book) but very good.

[BrittanyP · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Counting the Stars” written by award winner Lisa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by Raul Colon is a Biography, non-fiction children book dedicated to Katherine Johnson, one of the four black women who was part of NASA. The book has won both the CBC/NSTA Outstanding Science Book for Children and the Mathical book prize honor book. I found this book by researching popular Biography books about powerful women who have changed the business side of science and mathematics.
”Counting the Stars” is a complete biography about Katherine Johnson's life from when she was a little girl living in West Virginia. Katherine was a smart little girl who had skipped grades because everything came natural and easy to her. Katherine went to West Virginia Institute to follow her passion for mathematics. When high school ended, Katherine being only 15 years old, received a scholarship to college because they saw her passion for numbers. When she started going to college others noticed the love she had for numbers as well as her dedication. Katherine found an opportunity to get involved with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics as they were looking for women who were good with numbers. As for the time period, segregation was in high swing not allowing black women to have the opportunity to embrace their passions. As time went on, Katherine had another opportunity to work at the Flight Research Division since they were looking for “new computers.” Being a black woman she held her head tall by doing what she loves, math. Thanks to all her hard work she officially became a contributing member of the Flight Research Division. Katherine was the first black woman working with the data and double checking the engineers work. Katherine calculated the orbit mechanics as a NASA employee and was part of the first U.S spacelight.
The story has a rich-detail on each page describing Katherine's job working for NASA. The factual non-fiction story presented known facts about Katherine and how she got started to become one of the first black women with science. The author has been researching Katherine Johhson about her life and how she had grown to be a powerful intelligent woman. The biography was organized by having information gathered in a way in a narrative setting and accessible to the reader. The story kept me interested because it was constantly evolving into the major event in the story by having Katherine being part of NASA. It also did an excellent job by using the illustrations by presenting the time period of segregation by having the sign “No Blacks' ' to let the reader know the time period Katherine is in during this time. The story kept building to the climax by the character Katherine working hard and determined to take part in NASA. I can see this story being used as mentor texts for grades 3rd-5th grade by using it as a read aloud for strong historical people involved in STEM. Also for writing informative texts in which they can introduce topics and use facts to develop points in the story.Also this story could be used during Black History Month and Women History month as well about strong leaders who kept pushing themselves on what they enjoyed and loved. Lastly, I could also see this text being used by making connections to the text and using it as a character analysis to describe Katherine. This story could be used in many ways and across different grade levels as well.

[Amy Henricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician is a biography written by Lesa Cline-Ransome. The book details Katherine Johnson’s life from her childhood to her career with NASA. The story describes how from a young age Johnson excelled in mathematics and this propelled her schooling, even in a time of racial injustice in the United States. When reading this book, students are able to see how Johnson persevered during a time when she was looked down upon for her race and gender. Students can learn how Johnson’s calculations helped send the first American astronaut to orbit around the earth.

I believe this book would work best for 4th and 5th grade students to read independently. This book is a bit text-heavy so it would not work best for a whole class read aloud. However, an older elementary student would be able to read it independently and learn a lot of information. The biography features illustrations that would help students understand the story and Johnson’s life. I could see this book being used if students had to research historical figures or events. This book features many details about Johnson’s life and career that students would be able to learn about and pull information from the book. Students could use this to learn how to comprehend and pull out facts from informational text. As well, many schools participate in a living wax museum project where students research a historical figure, dress up like them, and present information about that person to their classmates. This is a book that students could use to research Katherine Johnson as the text and illustrations are very detailed. This book is especially important for students to see in elementary school because it allows students to see a woman of color who succeeded and excelled in a STEM career during a time when it was thought that was impossible. Students will be able to see Katherine Johnson as an inspiring figure who they can model.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician is a children's picture book written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by Raúl Colón. This biography of renowned mathematician Katherine Johnson aimed for elementary-age readers.

Creola Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. During her 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks.

Cline-Ransome's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In long text blocks, the narrative underlines Johnson's mathematical prowess and natural inquisitiveness. Backmatter includes an author's note, quotations, and a detailed of Johnson's most recent recognitions. Colón's trademark illustrations, with their combed-through textures, set Johnson apart visually with her rainbow-hued dresses radiate alongside her white male colleagues' white apparel.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. The text focuses on her early life, marriage and parenthood, and her career at Langley and up through calculating the trajectory of astronaut John Glenn's 1962 Earth orbit.

All in all, Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician is a detail-rich picture book best for readers who enjoy nonfiction and are interested in history or science.

[Alex Fava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Counting the Stars is a children’s biography of Katherine Johnson written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by Raul Colón. This story is intended for children ages four to eight, and the story of Katherine Johnson inspired the making of a critically acclaimed film called Hidden Figures. I read this story in eBook format, and while I think I may have enjoyed reading it in hand more, I was still able to appreciate the story and the illustrations. Despite Katherine’s gender and race, she worked very hard for an opportunity to be educated in the mathematics field. At the young age of 15, she entered college and soon began a job at Langley Aeronautics as a “human computer.” She soon became the go-to person for checking engineers’ calculations, plotting trajectories, and validating the computer’s numbers. I rated this story a 4/5 mainly due to its detailed descriptions and illustrations. I would not recommend this book to readers younger than aged seven or eight because it is quite long and uses more complex vocabulary and abstract details. Though this story is more detailed and informative than a typical children’s book, it touches on many topics, including gender, race, the Cold War and the Space Race, science and math, and the high stakes involved in space travel. Oftentimes when reading biographies, there is a lack of information in regard to the person’s childhood and background and more emphasis is placed on what the person accomplished. However, I appreciated in this story how Cline-Ransome provided information about Johnson’s upbringing and path to NASA. In all, this is a very valuable story with engaging illustrations.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this picture book for Chapter and Verse Book Club. "Counting the Stars" by Lesa Cline-Ransom is the story of Katherine Johnson, who was a black female NASA mathematician. Her story might be familiar to adults from the film, "Hidden Figures," in which the role of Katherine Johnson was played by actress Taraji P. Henson.

Born in West Virginia in 1918, Katherine Johnson was recognized as a prodigy from a young age. Several adults in her life (her parents, teachers, and college professors) recognized her brilliance and provided her with opportunities to develop her talent. As a result, she went on to achieve great things including teaching, receiving advanced degrees, working for Langley' Flight Division and NASA, and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

The text really tells the story here. The lovely watercolor, Prismacolor pencil and lithograph pencil illustrations support the text by setting a tone, giving details about the time period, and showing some of the obstacles that Johnson overcame. Raul Colon's illustrations are soft, yet vivid and appealing.

This is an excellent girl power, "we need diverse books," STEAM selection - and so much more! Highly recommended for individual readers, for all school libraries, and for teachers to use as a classroom text!

[Elaina Albarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting and definitely had a-lot of material in this book that I did not know about or never even heard of. I did not know that Katherine Johnson a woman was the mastermind behind the first American to orbit the Earth. I learned a lot about the story of Katherine Johnson in this picture book biography. I learned how Katherine started to like numbers and figure out that she was good at them, this book also gives you a little backstory of her childhood, and as she got older how she got to work for NASA and become a seriously smart African American mathematician amongst all these white men. I think this biography is significant because it shows a woman who just started off by liking numbers and then was told by a college professor that she has to figure out what she's gonna do with that type of degree, and then found her way through adversity to become a NASA mathematician. I think this book could be very inspiring to many young children. Overall I enjoyed this picture book biography that was engaging but also not too overwhelming, and the illustrations were very unique and portrayed the events very accurately.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book tells the amazing story of Katherine Johnson. Katherine started school when she was very young because she loved learning, her principal walked her home each night and showed her the constellations. When she was 15, she started college during the Great Depression. Katherine wanted to be a mathematician which was something not many women she knew wanted to be. Katherine got married and landed a job at Langley Aeronautics in the computing department. Once at her new job, Katherine slowly worked her way up. Soon she was allowed in the meeting rooms with the male engineers. Katherine worked on the space team during the space race and eventually helped launch the first American astronaut into space. I loved this book and I think it is inspiring to young girls, especially those of color. I would read this book to 4th or 5th graders and think it would be great for during Black History Month.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read. Thanks to the Mathical Awards for bringing it to everyone's attention. Katherine Johnson's talent evokes awe.

It's astonishing there were educators in those segregated days who could push her beyond the regular curriculum and chose to do so. Thanks to this book, I learned about African-American mathematician William Schieffelin Claytor for the first time and how he designed analytical geometry courses custom just for Katherine Johnson. In these times, when white politicians in Texas, Arkansas, and Florida are trying to prevent students from learning Black history, we need to honor and uplift all those involved in creating and enabling Black history. I hope someone writes a picture book about William Schieffelin Claytor too.

Congratulations to the author, Lesa Cline-Ransome, and illustrator, Raul Colon, for creating such a moving, beautiful picture book about American history and the people who made it.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counting the Stars is the inspiring true story of Katherine Johnson, a trusted mathematician at NASA in the 1950s - 60s, presented as a children's book. At a time when her gender and her race could have barred her from the opportunity to enter the space race, Katherine Johnson reached for all the stars she had counted since she was old enough to count and plucked one from the sky. This book tells her story from her childhood dreams to the launch of Apollo 11, describing her place in history but also getting across her personal story in a way that makes history real to children. Johnson's story is an important one to tell, and she's an admirable figure.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine Johnson loved math. She loved it so much and she was so good at it that she became a math teacher. Later on she started working for the Government on the space program. She was the human computer that the scientists called on to calculate the launch and trajectory of the first Apollo space flight and later man's first trip to the moon! Counting the Stars by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by Raul Colon is a excellent book for kids age 8 - 12 to get a quick overview of the trajectory of Katherine Johnson's life. A short addendum in the back of the book fills out details of her life and work.

[Kelly]

Is it time yet for Colon to win something at the Caldecott awards? I actually don't think this is the best work he's done, but he always does a stellar job (no pun intended). It was a great story about Katherine Johnson, telling the parts of her life that kids would be interested in - her story of her in education. Then it told about her work up to NASA, and that was interesting as well. It's long, so I think it'd be better for grades 3-5. The book really made Katherine the star of the story (I'm sorry, but that pun wasn't intended either).

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really gorgeous illustrations (as expected).

Shows teachers and schools that really encouraged Johnson to do everything she was capable of and that let her explore, and then does a pretty good job talking about Johnson's work at NACA/NASA and how she became a vital part of her team. (The one thing I thought was unclear in the text here was work done by human computers and engineers vs. machine computers; I've seen that more clearly explained in other picture books.)

On the text-heavy side, so more aimed at upper elementary.

[Ruby Phillips]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Children's books about real people are some of my favorite. The book follows Katherine Johnson throughout her life and her experiences. I learned so much from this book that I did not know before. It would be a great book to read to your children!

As an educator, this is a great book to pull into a lesson on space or even math. Students will be able to follow Katherine Johnson and her journey to becoming a NASA mathematician. This book explores diverse characters and the struggle she faced through her experiences. It is inspiring, education, and fun!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you audible stories for letting us stream this for free during the pandemic.
This is a wonderful little introduction to this massive story of the wonderful life of this woman. Just great for young readers to get a taste of the excellent life led by this woman. And I believe NASA is changing the name of the building to her name. Definitely a great read for young minds because it is so short and simple but packs a lot of punch to it.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story which highlights the life of Katherine Johnson, an amazing woman. I love the way the story is told, celebrating her accomplishments and hard work, while honestly depicting the struggles she had to overcome due to segregation in the southern US and the expectations which were placed on her. It helps children to celebrate successful African American women in history and to pursue their own passions.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've read several books about the genius Katherine Johnson, and it's always a treat to read about this amazing and inspirational woman. This picture book has quite a bit of text and is best suited for older, elementary students. If you have younger children who can sit through longer non-fiction biography books they may enjoy it too. I read it with elementary school aged children and they found it interesting.

[T Crockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several picture book biographies of Katherine Johnson. This is the first one that I've seen that gives a sense of how many people (a "village") it takes to help a young person live up to their potential. This book is also the first one I've seen that includes anything about her getting married and being a mother.

There are 1-2 paragraphs of text on each page which allows for greater detail, so I would recommend for 2nd grade and up.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative adaptation of one part of the story told in Hidden Figures focusing on Katherine Johnson. While not a particularly gripping read, this book is clearly well researched and carefully written, with gorgeous illustrations. An important addition to any library.

Themes: STEM, Heroines,
Age range: 9-12

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent biography about Katherine Johnson is a pleasure to read. The illustrations add to the story for elementary school age children, and for adults who enjoy reading children's books. An African American woman who was so important to the NASA that John Glenn personally asked her to check the math before his flight into space. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful marriage of text and illustrations to tell the story of Katherine Johnson, a smart, black girl influenced by her family to pursue her interest in mathematics through a college education, who used her advanced mathematical skills as a human computer to help our astronauts explore space safely in the 1960s.

[Arisa Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book tells the incredible story of Katherine Johnson, a black female NASA mathematician.This children's book chronicled her achievements as well as her battle with prejudice against women and African-Americans. Even adults would enjoy this well-illustrated, informative, and inspiring picture book.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was great because it showed her childhood and all the struggles she faced living in this time era and defying those issues and becoming an important s=aspect of NASA, she was the one who saved Apollo 11 because of her amazing math skills. This book did an excellent job of showing her life in a fun and want to keep reading way.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great picturebook biography—with extended text on each page it might be best as a read aloud over two days. Colón’s illustrations are always a beautiful companion with the text.



Birthday Book treasure Trove Summer Reading Afternoon. Thanks to my sister and Barbie for such lovelies and Summer Sara time to sit and read!

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5. I wondered why it stopped with John Glenn. Backmatter says one of her proudest moments was working on Apollo 11.

Story mentioned her professor creating courses for her, backmatter also includes she graduated with the highest honors. Story leaves out she was the first black woman to integrate West Virginia University's graduate math program.