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

Gr 1-4–Emphasizing Katherine Johnson’s unquenchable curiosity, as well as her persistence in the face of discrimination against women and African Americans, veteran biographer Cline-Ransome describes Johnson’s childhood, accelerated education, and path to NASA, culminating in her successful calculations for America’s first orbital spaceflight. The book’s final spread hints at Johnson’s future involvement with Apollo 11, and an author’s note provides further facts about her life. Illustrator Colón’s signature lithographs enhance the book’s tone: layers of watercolors and colored pencils draw readers into the lush, textured scenes that range from expansive (capturing the immensity of starry skies) to nostalgic (capturing atmospheric period details). Most effective is a motif of swirling colors in Johnson’s clothing, a visual reminder of how her mind swirled with numbers and questions.