Overview

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. Including a glossary of key terms, this book is a fun learning tool for 3-6 year olds.

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9781848864153

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Reviews

Who would have guessed from standard-issue histories of the space race that the spacesuits worn on the moon were largely the work of women employed by the manufacturer of Playtex bras and lines of baby wear? Here, in a profile that laudably focuses on her subject's unusual skills, dedicated work ethic, and uncommon attention to detail rather than her gender or family life, Donald takes Eleanor 'Ellie' Foraker from childhood fascination with needle and thread to work at ILC Dover, then on to the team that created the safe, flexible A7L spacesuit--beating out firms of military designers and engineers to win a NASA competition. Though the author clearly attempts to steer clear of sexist language, she still leaves Foraker and her co-workers dubbed 'seamstresses' throughout and 'engineer' rather unfairly (all so designated presenting male here) defined in the glossary as 'someone who designs and makes things.' Still, her descriptions of the suit's concepts and construction are clear and specific enough to give readers a real appreciation for the technical challenges that were faced and solved. Landy gives the figures in her cleanly drawn illustrations individual features along with period hair and clothing, varying skin tones so that though most are white, at least two are women of color. An outstanding contribution to the recent spate of reminders that women too helped send men to the moon. (Informational picture book. 7-9) --starred, Kirkus Reviews --Journal

Author Information

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Alison Donald now lives in the UK with her husband and three children. She is a writer and works as a pediatric occupational therapist, helping children with special needs reach their potential. As soon as Ariel Landy learned how to draw a sky beyond a blue scribbled line, she knew she wanted to be an illustrator. Ariel aims to create illustrations that are imaginative, whimsical, and original. She lives in New York City.

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