Astronaut Sisters

Make-believe comes easily to Fern and Rosie, sisters who share a bedroom and, it seems, a favorite game: playing astronauts. As the two dress, Rosie holds up snow suits that the two don as space suits. Black boots, white bike helmets, and green mittens are similarly repurposed, and the two astronauts have breakfast (“Hold on to your juice box,” Rosie says. “Everything floats in outer space”). At the playground, spinning on the carousel and flying on the swings fit into the duo’s routine as they imagine sailing to a space station “that circled the Earth sixteen times in one day.” Finally, after watching the station cross the sky at night, the two snuggle up with some astronaut books. Fortenberry (Grandpa and Jake) draws the light-brown-skinned sisters simply while combining two visual worlds—the familiarity of the siblings’ home and neighborhood, and vast, blue stretches of outer space. The next day, the two attend a parade that reveals the inspiration behind the sisters’ interest, making for a STEM-themed book whose emotional thrust feels credible and uncontrived. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes more about astronauts. Ages 4–6. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency. (Jan.)