Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapa Adeola - OPTIONAL

Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapa Adeola. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2019. $18. 9781984894427                   

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE        

Rocket is a girl who loves the stars.  She knows all about Mae Jemison and dresses in an astronaut jumpsuit.  And she is excited for the meteor shower that will be over the park.  Rocket makes flyers for the neighborhood inviting everyone to see the meteor shower, and hounds her brother Jamal to put down his phone to see the stars.  Will Jamal take her to the park and put down his phone or has technology taken over for experiences in the real world?        

Illustrations are fun and add to the story and Rocket starts out as a cute and sassy girl in charge. Plot plateaus when it gets stuck on people looking down at their devices.  The end is predictable, but the book shares information about space and meteors. Characters are diverse though and for that reason may be a great addition to your reading library.   Fans of Katie Woo and Jasmin will like this spunky heroine.       

Michele Edgley, Library Technology Teacher SLCSD