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The Spacesuit: How a Seamstress Helped Put Man on the Moon
There is a competition to make the spacesuit for the first moon landing! Ellie, an ordinary woman, is asked to lead a team of other talented seamstresses. No one believes they can win, but they are determined to try.
Based on the incredible true story behind the spacesuit that astronauts wore on the first moon walk and the team of women who sewed it together.
-- "Journal"
Based on the incredible true story behind the spacesuit that astronauts wore on the first moon walk and the team of women who sewed it together.
-- "Journal"
36 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2019
121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 24, 2021
The Spacesuit: How a Seamstress Helped Put Man on the Moon I had high hopes for this one but I was a bit underwhelmed and found myself wanting more. Perhaps it is simply aimed at a younger target audience than most of the picture book biographies I've been reading, but I really wanted more information about why Ellie's team was selected (all we know is they were precise seamstresses, but surely they weren't the only precise seamstresses around?) and how they got their ideas for the spacesuit (looking at pictures of past spacesuits and trying to make them lighter and more comfortable by "working with engineers" is about all we learn here). I did appreciate that it showed men (the engineers) and women (the seamstresses) working together and learning from one another. I think it conveyed the marvel Ellie and her team felt when the man walking on the moon was wearing the suit they designed -- imagine, something you made keeping a person alive so far from earth!? The back matter is pretty simple, also. I wanted to know more. But, it's still worth checking out because the spacesuit itself really doesn't get a lot of attention when it comes to discussions of the Apollo mission and it really is important to know that women who usually made bras and diapers also helped put a man on the moon. I do think the other seamstresses should have been mentioned by name, at least in the afterward -- it is clear that Ellie wasn't the only one coming up with ideas, and I think the other women deserve to be known, too. (NOTE: I was only able to get the video version of this book so my review is based on that format. It showed the Glossary and a brief bio note on Ellie's later work, but no bibliography etc. so not sure if that is a shortcoming of the book itself or the DVD presentation but judging from other reviews it sounds like a shortcoming of the book.)
July 17, 2019
Watching the first moon landing in 1969 unfolded before our eyes on TV, yet most people probably didn't think much about all the behind the scenes work that went into making it a success. And one of the most important things was keeping the astronaut who would be first person to step foot on the moon safe.
And if you are going to take a walk on the moon, which has no gravity which means no breathable air, and has extremes of hot and cold temperatures, you want to make sure you have on a spacesuit that can successfully protect you. And for the July 20, 1969 moon walk, it turns out that the proper spacesuit was the work of a dedicated seamstress named Eleanor "Ellie" Foraker.
Ellie loved to sew when she was young, and as an adult, she sewed for a company called Playtex (yup, the bra people). One day, an engineer asked her if she would like to enter a competition to make spacesuits instead of underwear, spacesuits that could go to the moon and back.
Of course, Ellie jumped at the chance, and with the help of her fellow seamstresses at Playtex, they set out to create a winning spacesuit.
The challenge was how to make a soft, comfortable spacesuit? 21 layers of fabric held together with stitches only 1/64th of an inch long and without the benefit of pins to hold it all together is how. A pin hole, after all, could leave an astronaut vulnerable to the moon's poisonous gases. But when the judges received their spacesuit, a zipper was broken. Luckily, the spacesuit was fixed in time.
And yes, Ellie and her team of seamstresses won the competition. Now, when you see pictures of the Apollo 11 astronauts, and there will be lots of them this week, think of Ellie and her team and the hard work that helped make the moon landing possible. Who knew sewing could be so exciting?
The Spacesuit offers young readers an accessible, friendly, and interesting look at one of the things that happens behind the headlines of a historical event, and also manages to put a woman in the spotlight for a change. The simple text and cartoon-like illustrations are clear and straightforward. All the steps that were taken to create the winning spacesuit are nicely detailed from idea to finished suit. Ellie and her team may have had a real advantage because they probably understood the properties of latex better than most after having sewn all that latex underwear for Playtex.
The Spacesuit is a great book with lots of interesting facts to be found scattered within the story, as well as the front and back endpapers. There is also a timeline of space travel from its beginning right up to the moon walk, and a glossary of terms used at the end of the book.
The Spacesuit is an inspiring book for young readers which adds to the body of literature about the Apollo 11 moon walk as well as adding to the history of women.
This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was provided to me by Myrick Marketing & Media
And if you are going to take a walk on the moon, which has no gravity which means no breathable air, and has extremes of hot and cold temperatures, you want to make sure you have on a spacesuit that can successfully protect you. And for the July 20, 1969 moon walk, it turns out that the proper spacesuit was the work of a dedicated seamstress named Eleanor "Ellie" Foraker.
Ellie loved to sew when she was young, and as an adult, she sewed for a company called Playtex (yup, the bra people). One day, an engineer asked her if she would like to enter a competition to make spacesuits instead of underwear, spacesuits that could go to the moon and back.
Of course, Ellie jumped at the chance, and with the help of her fellow seamstresses at Playtex, they set out to create a winning spacesuit.
The challenge was how to make a soft, comfortable spacesuit? 21 layers of fabric held together with stitches only 1/64th of an inch long and without the benefit of pins to hold it all together is how. A pin hole, after all, could leave an astronaut vulnerable to the moon's poisonous gases. But when the judges received their spacesuit, a zipper was broken. Luckily, the spacesuit was fixed in time.
And yes, Ellie and her team of seamstresses won the competition. Now, when you see pictures of the Apollo 11 astronauts, and there will be lots of them this week, think of Ellie and her team and the hard work that helped make the moon landing possible. Who knew sewing could be so exciting?
The Spacesuit offers young readers an accessible, friendly, and interesting look at one of the things that happens behind the headlines of a historical event, and also manages to put a woman in the spotlight for a change. The simple text and cartoon-like illustrations are clear and straightforward. All the steps that were taken to create the winning spacesuit are nicely detailed from idea to finished suit. Ellie and her team may have had a real advantage because they probably understood the properties of latex better than most after having sewn all that latex underwear for Playtex.
The Spacesuit is a great book with lots of interesting facts to be found scattered within the story, as well as the front and back endpapers. There is also a timeline of space travel from its beginning right up to the moon walk, and a glossary of terms used at the end of the book.
The Spacesuit is an inspiring book for young readers which adds to the body of literature about the Apollo 11 moon walk as well as adding to the history of women.
This book is recommended for readers age 5+
This book was provided to me by Myrick Marketing & Media
October 19, 2019
Not sure how I feel about this one. The opening bit about Ellie's childhood felt forced. It felt like the author didn't think being a seamstress was feminist enough and overcompensated with the strong independent woman message during the character's childhood. Which is hypocritical, given the subtitle and point of the book. But maybe I'm misreading it.
Anyway, I think this is a good subject, but I would have preferred if it had begun with the contest to create the spacesuit, and then shown how Ellie Foraker and her team won. If the book was going to be about Ellie's whole life, then I would have liked some of the other accomplishments which were listed in the text piece illustrated in the story.
Anyway, I think this is a good subject, but I would have preferred if it had begun with the contest to create the spacesuit, and then shown how Ellie Foraker and her team won. If the book was going to be about Ellie's whole life, then I would have liked some of the other accomplishments which were listed in the text piece illustrated in the story.
October 9, 2019
Very relevant to my interests! :P And the best thing is that my kid keeps asking to read it. The illustrations are great, and we got to learn about an aspect of the moon landing I'd never questioned! I just assumed that NASA engineers designed and created the suit. It's so great for kids to learn about all the people (especially women) who helped make things like the moon landing happen.
September 29, 2019
Really nice balance between practical and lyrical writing, informative but simple enough to digest in one little nugget, focuses on Ellie Foraker's contributions and accomplishments while still acknowledging that she was part of a team. Really great overall!
November 16, 2019
Like many readers, I love stories about the unsung heroes in our world. While credit is given to large accomplishments, often those who contribute in smaller but just as meaningful ways, are overlooked. In this lively picture book readers learn about Eleanor Foraker and how the first spacesuit for the lunar landing was designed. Ellie grew up loving to sew, and when the company for which she worked entered the competition to design and make a spacesuit, the A7L, they faced and met many challenges, ultimately triumphing. When those astronauts landed on the moon, Ellie and her team could feel proud that their space suits kept them safe. This is a pretty cool story that provides interesting details about the suits and how challenging it was to design and then sew them as they got bulkier with each layer that was added, eventually 21 layers in a suit. I would have liked to have had some back matter about Ellie herself and a photograph and this amazing accomplishment from a company that made bras, girdles, and diaper covers. The illustrations are colorful and attractive to young readers and the fact balloons with interesting snippets add details, but I wanted to know even more about this woman and the other seamstresses who did this amazing work. How about including their names in the back matter? Who says women haven't made contributions? I might use this one in a unit on inventions or space exploration, but I'd make sure to provide additional resources about this project and Ellie herself.
August 11, 2019
Based on a true story this colorful, easy to read picture book is full of facts. When a competition to make a spacesuit for the first moonwalk is introduced, a talented seamstress beats out all the other creations. This is an inspiring and informative story for all young readers.
July 24, 2019
How a competition led to the spacesuits used in the 1969 moon landings.
What a wonderful, timely book The Spacesuit is. It might be designed for children but it brought back so many memories from 50 years ago for me and introduced me to a whole new aspect of the moon landings I’d never considered before. Just who made those first spacesuits? Indeed, entertainment and nostalgia aside, there’s a vitally important message here. We know so much about the first man on the moon, but what about the women behind that achievement? Based on real people, in The Spacesuit we discover Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Foraker who was instrumental in creating the spacesuits used. The Spacesuit gives credence and status to all in a message so important to children. Similarly, I thoroughly appreciated the inclusion of those of different ethnicities in Ariel Landy’s colourful and enhancing illustrations.
There’s so much to discover in The Spacesuit as facts and figures adorn every part of the book, from the inside covers, and across the title pages to throughout the story so whilst it’s possible simply to read the book as an entertainment, with jeopardy making it exciting, so much can be learnt too. I had no idea that 21 layers were used in those first spacesuits, for example.
Facts aside, there are wonderful messages about perseverance, team work, doing your best and being proud of your achievements. Ellie’s childhood hobby becomes a career and ultimately a world changing skill so that children can see that their aspirations can be fulfilled regardless of their background. What could be better than that?
The Spacesuit offers something different every time it’s read. It has the potential for so many uses with children that I can see it forming the basis of home and school projects. How about researching those constellation patterns perhaps or playing with onomatopoeic language in the whir of the machines and where exactly is Texas on the map? There really is a wealth of material (forgive the pun) to be enjoyed here.
Finally, I love the fact that the book brings us right up to date with a code to scan for more information. The Spacesuit is a smashing book for children – of all ages!
What a wonderful, timely book The Spacesuit is. It might be designed for children but it brought back so many memories from 50 years ago for me and introduced me to a whole new aspect of the moon landings I’d never considered before. Just who made those first spacesuits? Indeed, entertainment and nostalgia aside, there’s a vitally important message here. We know so much about the first man on the moon, but what about the women behind that achievement? Based on real people, in The Spacesuit we discover Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Foraker who was instrumental in creating the spacesuits used. The Spacesuit gives credence and status to all in a message so important to children. Similarly, I thoroughly appreciated the inclusion of those of different ethnicities in Ariel Landy’s colourful and enhancing illustrations.
There’s so much to discover in The Spacesuit as facts and figures adorn every part of the book, from the inside covers, and across the title pages to throughout the story so whilst it’s possible simply to read the book as an entertainment, with jeopardy making it exciting, so much can be learnt too. I had no idea that 21 layers were used in those first spacesuits, for example.
Facts aside, there are wonderful messages about perseverance, team work, doing your best and being proud of your achievements. Ellie’s childhood hobby becomes a career and ultimately a world changing skill so that children can see that their aspirations can be fulfilled regardless of their background. What could be better than that?
The Spacesuit offers something different every time it’s read. It has the potential for so many uses with children that I can see it forming the basis of home and school projects. How about researching those constellation patterns perhaps or playing with onomatopoeic language in the whir of the machines and where exactly is Texas on the map? There really is a wealth of material (forgive the pun) to be enjoyed here.
Finally, I love the fact that the book brings us right up to date with a code to scan for more information. The Spacesuit is a smashing book for children – of all ages!
August 27, 2019
A fascinating glimpse at a woman behind the success of the first moon landing. Eleanor Foraker loved to sew even as a young girl. As an adult, she worked for Playtex, sewing clothing for children and women. When a contest opened to design a spacesuit to go to the moon, Ellie entered it at the last minute. Ellie worked tirelessly with a team of seamstresses and engineers, trying to make a spacesuit that was softer and more comfortable than previous designs. The design was made of 21 layers of fabrics, and they used huge sewing machines to get that much fabric under the needle. The precision sewing meant that they had to be within 1/64 of an inch to be successful. The suit was sent off to Texas with a major problem with a broken zipper that they got a chance to fix. In the end, Ellie’s design won the day and made it to the moon.
This nonfiction picture book tells the very interesting story of how the spacesuits for the moon landing were invented and designed. The interplay of engineers and seamstresses where everyone’s ideas were valid is an important piece. The focus on comfort as well as functionality made their suit the winner as well as a willingness to work very hard to get it finished in time.
The art in the book pays homage to sewing by incorporating pins, images that look sewn on, and even a timeline made of thread. The illustrations are bright with throwbacks to the 1960’s too. The combination is bright and hopeful.
Based on the true story, this picture book is “sew” good. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
This nonfiction picture book tells the very interesting story of how the spacesuits for the moon landing were invented and designed. The interplay of engineers and seamstresses where everyone’s ideas were valid is an important piece. The focus on comfort as well as functionality made their suit the winner as well as a willingness to work very hard to get it finished in time.
The art in the book pays homage to sewing by incorporating pins, images that look sewn on, and even a timeline made of thread. The illustrations are bright with throwbacks to the 1960’s too. The combination is bright and hopeful.
Based on the true story, this picture book is “sew” good. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
June 25, 2020
Another behind-the-scenes look at a piece of the pie that took us to the Moon.
Ellie Foraker was a seamstress at the Playtex site in Delaware when one of the engineers noted how precise her stitching was. She was asked to join the team working on the prototype spacesuit for the Apollo moon missions - and they won the national competition with their spacesuit landing on the moon.
Donald provides young readers with an intriguing peek into another woman's contribution in the Space Race. It is simply told, yet inspiring. Ariel Lndy's digital illustrations are bold and colorful with a 1950's cartoon feeling that adds a touch of whimsy. Facts and sidebar information are scattered throughout the book and add depth to the immediate information. Older readers will find the facts about the spacesuit on the endsheets fascinating.
Place this along with other bios about women who are superstars in NASA history, including: Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Kitty O'Brien Joyner, Nancy Roman, Sally Ride, Judi Resnick, Christa McAuliffe, Mae Jemison, Ellen Ochoa, Eileen Collins, Kalpana Chawla, and Barbara Morgan. (If there is not a bio about any of these women, it is one to consider writing!) To learn more, here are a few websites about NASA and women: https://www.nasa.gov/women, https://www.insider.com/female-astron... and https://artsandculture.google.com/sto...
A solid STEM biography to recommend for PreSchool-grade 3.
Ellie Foraker was a seamstress at the Playtex site in Delaware when one of the engineers noted how precise her stitching was. She was asked to join the team working on the prototype spacesuit for the Apollo moon missions - and they won the national competition with their spacesuit landing on the moon.
Donald provides young readers with an intriguing peek into another woman's contribution in the Space Race. It is simply told, yet inspiring. Ariel Lndy's digital illustrations are bold and colorful with a 1950's cartoon feeling that adds a touch of whimsy. Facts and sidebar information are scattered throughout the book and add depth to the immediate information. Older readers will find the facts about the spacesuit on the endsheets fascinating.
Place this along with other bios about women who are superstars in NASA history, including: Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Kitty O'Brien Joyner, Nancy Roman, Sally Ride, Judi Resnick, Christa McAuliffe, Mae Jemison, Ellen Ochoa, Eileen Collins, Kalpana Chawla, and Barbara Morgan. (If there is not a bio about any of these women, it is one to consider writing!) To learn more, here are a few websites about NASA and women: https://www.nasa.gov/women, https://www.insider.com/female-astron... and https://artsandculture.google.com/sto...
A solid STEM biography to recommend for PreSchool-grade 3.
November 7, 2019
The endpapers contain cool spacesuit facts. Along the title pages, the space-race timeline runs along a seam (cute). FACTS are placed throughout the story; like how she worked for Playtex (of bras and cloth diapers fame), and this one: “It wasn’t unusual for the undergarment industry to try new things. In World War One they designed flight suits for pilots.” I found this fact thrilling cause a dear friend who is a seamstress makes corsets among other things and she is always learning and experimenting with her craft.
The illustrations have a nostalgic appeal to its animation, accessible and easy to track narratively. Landy’s details like the button planet are nice compliments to the way Donald writes Ellie’s youth in the language of outer space adventures. The way Landy has Ellie looking up at the moon, as if predestined; as if she’s always held it in her imagination. Too, isn’t this a common element of astronaut stories? I love it.
The story Donald recollects echoes much of the drama of the time, the race to compete under an intense timeline. The space race had so many moving parts and it is wonderful to read the story of very important participants. While we follow Ellie, it is clear there was a team of skilled women and men, and that the project and production took a lot of collaboration.
I appreciate author Alison Donald’s inspiration, sharing an unusual space-related non-fiction. A great addition to any collection.
The illustrations have a nostalgic appeal to its animation, accessible and easy to track narratively. Landy’s details like the button planet are nice compliments to the way Donald writes Ellie’s youth in the language of outer space adventures. The way Landy has Ellie looking up at the moon, as if predestined; as if she’s always held it in her imagination. Too, isn’t this a common element of astronaut stories? I love it.
The story Donald recollects echoes much of the drama of the time, the race to compete under an intense timeline. The space race had so many moving parts and it is wonderful to read the story of very important participants. While we follow Ellie, it is clear there was a team of skilled women and men, and that the project and production took a lot of collaboration.
I appreciate author Alison Donald’s inspiration, sharing an unusual space-related non-fiction. A great addition to any collection.
November 12, 2019
"The Spacesuit," a children's picture book written by Alison Donald and illustrated by Ariel Landy, is a nonfiction history book about the seamstresses who made the spacesuit for US astronauts in the Apollo missions headed for the moon.
Eleanor "Ellie" Foraker, a seamstress for ILC Dover, who sewed women's bras and baby's cloth diapers, became an instrumental part of the Apollo missions, when she was implored by engineers in her company to be a part of the development for a proposal for a new spacesuit for NASA. Her team of engineers and seamstresses designed and sewed a new spacesuit that was heat resistant, comfortable, and maneuverable for astronauts to make it to the moon, and then move freely on the moon to collect rock samples and perform other experiments.
The book is an interesting historical account of the winning team to design and produce the spacesuit. It shows how important every job can be, even in fields seemingly unrelated to the one you currently work in. For kids, it is inspiring to see how the spacesuit was developed and that there was a skilled person, who worked hard to meet the challenge they faced.
My kids all enjoyed hearing the story and were engaged the entire time. This is a great book for kids aged four years and up, especially for those children interested in science and space.
Eleanor "Ellie" Foraker, a seamstress for ILC Dover, who sewed women's bras and baby's cloth diapers, became an instrumental part of the Apollo missions, when she was implored by engineers in her company to be a part of the development for a proposal for a new spacesuit for NASA. Her team of engineers and seamstresses designed and sewed a new spacesuit that was heat resistant, comfortable, and maneuverable for astronauts to make it to the moon, and then move freely on the moon to collect rock samples and perform other experiments.
The book is an interesting historical account of the winning team to design and produce the spacesuit. It shows how important every job can be, even in fields seemingly unrelated to the one you currently work in. For kids, it is inspiring to see how the spacesuit was developed and that there was a skilled person, who worked hard to meet the challenge they faced.
My kids all enjoyed hearing the story and were engaged the entire time. This is a great book for kids aged four years and up, especially for those children interested in science and space.
September 17, 2021
Ata Storytime Kit
Storytime Note: It would work well in a pre-school or elementary storytime where students to enjoy a slightly longer story.
Side Note: I love that the author included a timeline, glossary of key terms and "fun facts."
An inspirational true-story about the a group of seamstresses who designed the spacesuit for the first men to walk on the Moon! "Ellie's team was small, and they only had six weeks. Many believed that the seamstresses could never win. But Ellie ignored them and set to work."
Inspired by true events, The Spacesuit tells the story of Ellie, a seamstress tasked with creating a new spacesuit for the Apollo 11 moon landing. After emerging as the underdogs in a multi-company competition, Ellie's team works hard to win! Follow Ellie as she uses impressive knowledge to solve the issue of clunky, uncomfortable spacesuits. The perfect book for young children interested in space exploration and women in history. Alison Donald expertly weaves facts into the story to keep young readers engaged.
Pair with "The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean."
Storytime Note: It would work well in a pre-school or elementary storytime where students to enjoy a slightly longer story.
Side Note: I love that the author included a timeline, glossary of key terms and "fun facts."
An inspirational true-story about the a group of seamstresses who designed the spacesuit for the first men to walk on the Moon! "Ellie's team was small, and they only had six weeks. Many believed that the seamstresses could never win. But Ellie ignored them and set to work."
Inspired by true events, The Spacesuit tells the story of Ellie, a seamstress tasked with creating a new spacesuit for the Apollo 11 moon landing. After emerging as the underdogs in a multi-company competition, Ellie's team works hard to win! Follow Ellie as she uses impressive knowledge to solve the issue of clunky, uncomfortable spacesuits. The perfect book for young children interested in space exploration and women in history. Alison Donald expertly weaves facts into the story to keep young readers engaged.
Pair with "The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean."
September 24, 2020
"The Spacesuit" explores a lesser-known even in space history, telling the story of how a team of clothing designers and manufacturers, working with engineers, came up with the iconic spacesuit design for the Apollo 11 moon mission beating out teams of military designers and engineers.
This would be an excellent story to read along with the Hidden Figures junior novelization, as both stories cover the topic of women working in the aerospace industry during the era of the 'space race'. It's a fairly quick read - not a lot of text on each page, so it would be good for younger readers as well. I really liked the illustration style here, as well - they're very bright and colourful. I liked the humour expressed by the testers wore in the picture of the less successful suits.
There's one formatting issue on the end pages, both front and back. They have text boxes scattered over the page with facts on them, but several of these boxes will be covered by the book jacket when it's attached so no one will be able to read them.
This would be an excellent story to read along with the Hidden Figures junior novelization, as both stories cover the topic of women working in the aerospace industry during the era of the 'space race'. It's a fairly quick read - not a lot of text on each page, so it would be good for younger readers as well. I really liked the illustration style here, as well - they're very bright and colourful. I liked the humour expressed by the testers wore in the picture of the less successful suits.
There's one formatting issue on the end pages, both front and back. They have text boxes scattered over the page with facts on them, but several of these boxes will be covered by the book jacket when it's attached so no one will be able to read them.
September 13, 2020
Eleanor Foraker was the lead seamstress at ILC Dover (think bras, girdles, cloth diapers, and more). When her team was asked to join the competition to design a spacesuit for NASA, they went for it. They had six weeks to design a suit that had to be perfect, comfortable, innovative, safe and practical all at the same time. Using 21 layers of material, the team designed and sewed the A7L spacesuit and had it shipped off to Texas for testing. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969, they were wearing the A7L! This inspirational picture book illustrates the creativity, intelligence, and perseverance of the men and women who worked on this spacesuit. It also highlights the dream that Eleanor Foraker had from childhood to design and sew. I can see using this book to talk to students about how pursuing dreams is important, and to achieve those dreams one must work very hard!
January 15, 2020
Love the format! Even the endpages are fun and full of facts. It reads like a picture book but still super informative. Engaging and not over your head with difficult to grasp ideas. Everything is tied together really beautifully! The art is lovely and bright too! I only found myself wishing I knew the names of some of the other seamstresses as well, but that is not even a complaint as much as an observation. There are so many things you could do with this book!
March 4, 2021
Do I feel warm and fuzzy that a woman got to be the seamstress while a man got to be the engineer and another man got to walk in the moon? No. But it also is impressive that the first woman in space found her way there only 2 1/2 years after the first man. The space industry broke a lot of barriers, both scientific and social. I am curious to learn more about the people behind the scenes in the space race, and I think this kind of thing is great to share with kids of all genders.
March 23, 2021
I really loved this. My mom is an industrial seamstress and though I don't think she has ever made a spacesuit, she's worked on military parachutes, fire suits, and diving suits and has complained about the accurate within 1/64" rule often. We don't really think about the people behind the scenes making the uniforms and safety gear, but they are so important. Eleanor Foraker and her team made the first moon landing possible, and I bet most people have never heard of her.
November 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the details that were "hidden" in the story pages. The little bits that you learned by looking at the pictures were awesome as well. I thought this story gave a lot of information that can be used in many ways. It also shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
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July 5, 2021I love the quote: With hard work, any design was possible.
What a wonderful lesson for everyone to learn; with Hardwork anything was possible. It’s especially good to tell children over and over that hard work makes the difference. Many feel that intelligence is some thing that cannot be increased; whereas, Hardwork is something that can always be increased.
What a wonderful lesson for everyone to learn; with Hardwork anything was possible. It’s especially good to tell children over and over that hard work makes the difference. Many feel that intelligence is some thing that cannot be increased; whereas, Hardwork is something that can always be increased.
June 15, 2022
This book has been mentioned around sewing groups since it was published a couple years ago.
I finally remembered to get it from the library.
It's so cool!!
I knew seamstresses made the spacesuits. I even heard about the no-pins thing. I didn't know they won a contest?!
This book also has some really cool extra facts in the endpapers.
I finally remembered to get it from the library.
It's so cool!!
I knew seamstresses made the spacesuits. I even heard about the no-pins thing. I didn't know they won a contest?!
This book also has some really cool extra facts in the endpapers.
February 10, 2024
This might me my new favorite children’s book! As a seamstress, and mom to a 4yo little girl, stories like this truly capture my heart as well as my child’s attention. My daughter loves to watch and help mommy sew. She also loves space and all things interstellar. This book really excited her. And I am always pleased to read children’s books with historical female leads.
March 7, 2024
I spotted this book at the library and the title grabbed me. I'd never heard of Ellie Foraker; I suppose I thought that NASA scientists built the spacesuits, but of course it makes sense that seamstresses did the work. I always enjoy learning about the unsung women of history. Now to add Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo to my to-read list!
October 2, 2019
Honestly, it had never occurred to me that someone had to design and construct NASA's spacesuits. What a stressful -- and thrilling -- possibility! A great look at the woman behind the sewing machine.
August 21, 2020
An interesting story. Not really a biography as it is "inspired by true events". But, a nice picture book on how different roles contributed to the moon landing. My daughter liked the facts on the inside cover more than the story itself.
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March 26, 2021This biography is all about the seamstress Eleanor Forake and how she created the space suit worn by the first man to walk on the moon. This book has fun pictures and is about space which is a fun thing for children to learn about.
Age level: 3-6
Lexile level: 1010L
Age level: 3-6
Lexile level: 1010L
June 26, 2021
Fabulous girl power book, helping to shift the conversation around to some of the people that helped share the credit for great things in our history. But the real triumph here is the art. Phenomenal!
July 26, 2022
Felt like there were some pieces missing, but I love the focus on the labor (frequently performed by women and marginalized identities) behind historic events that often goes invisible and uncredited.
January 14, 2023
This is a great story about a regular person making history through hard work, ingenuity, smarts and never giving up AND being a woman in a time where they were not as appreciated for these qualities!
August 28, 2023
Good, intersecting very brief story about the making of the space suit and suitable for elementary school students. Probably should have had the hard copy vs audio as I think illustrations would've added to it so read vs listen
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