Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this tale inspired by co-author Ojeda's personal experience, kindred spirits reach for the stars. Natalia, a young girl living in Chile, dreams of becoming a scientist, though she's never known anyone who attended university. Luna, a ladybug, or "chinita" in Chilean Spanish, aspires to be an astronaut, though her peers scoff at her. Their paths cross when Luna flies off in search of her dreams…and crash-lands on Natalia's science paper. Natalia and her classmates are tasked with designing a space-themed science experiment, and when Luna makes her presence known, inspiration hits. Soon the students are working hard on a project involving the use of ladybugs as a natural form of pest control for crops grown in space. Natalia, Luna, and some of the students head to the United States to pitch their project to NASA. Getting the green light, they see their hard work pay off when Luna launches with the space shuttle Columbia; on board is Eileen Collins, "the first woman to command a NASA mission." A note from Ojeda explains more thoroughly how in the late 1990s, she and her high school classmates created a project that was selected by NASA, although the main narrative skimps on some of these details and feels a bit rushed. Human characters outshine the optimistic insect, who's endearing but feels superfluous. Still, Montoya's bright, cheery illustrations are inviting, and the book offers a stirring example of representation in STEM. A rousing story of kids making an impact on the world of science. (photos, Spanish glossary, online resources) (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
