cover image Margaret and the Moon

Margaret and the Moon

Dean Robbins, illus. by Lucy Knisley. Knopf, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-399-55185-7

Robbins (Miss Paul and the President) traces the life of mathematician and self-described software engineer Margaret Hamilton. Beginning with her early life as a curious girl who questioned (and studied) everything, Robbins moves briskly through her career path, from teaching herself how to write computer code to assisting with the 1969 moon landing and other NASA missions: “Could Margaret use computers to get the astronauts... 238,855 miles there... and 238,855 miles back?” Knisley’s (Relish) crisp cartooning approaches Hamilton’s story with reverence for her accomplishments, as well as humor (“Yippee!” shouts Apollo 11’s lunar module as it decamps for the moon’s surface). As the contributions of women in STEM fields gain increased attention and appreciation, Robbins and Knisley deliver an inspiring tribute to a true innovator. Ages 4–8. [em]Author’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Holly Bemiss, Susan Rabiner Literary. (May) [/em]