Reach for the Stars Like Kalpana by Kay B and Adriana Cifuentes Acosta
Published: 2018
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Kalpana is a little girl in India with big plans. She runs into every obstacle imaginable, but her persistence eventually sends her all the way to outer space.
Kalpana Chawla’s life story is certainly inspiring. The first Indian-American woman to go to space, Chawla had to overcome cultural and family hurdles to study engineering. Author Kay B recounts all of this with straightforward copy that underlines young Kalpana’s optimism and determination.
Acosta’s artwork is simple, but it’s very colorful and accessible. While most of the backgrounds are sparse, there are also several welcome glimpses of Kalpana’s environment in India.
The text might have flowed more smoothly without the rhyming scheme, which forces the story into basic information occasionally punctuated by a rhyme that feels like an afterthought. The book encourages me to learn more about Kalpana Chawla’s journey, but more of her biography could have been included if the story hadn’t been confined by the beats.
Reach for the Stars Like Kalpana is a positive and upbeat introduction to an important figure in the history of space exploration.