Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Celestina dreamed big. She did not want to be an athlete or a movie star or work in Wall Street. Her plans were bigger than that. She wanted to explore where no one had set foot before. She wanted to fly through space in a rocket and be the first little girl to walk on the moon. She knew it was not easy and she had to be smart to pass the tests. The kids made fun of her space dreams and she felt very sad. The adults thought her plan was good but they advised her to think about her choices and have a better plan. Her teacher thought she would make a good ballerina. Slowly her dreams of traveling and flying through space disappeared. She practiced hard and she jumped, swirled, twirled, and when she floated high she thought of conquering the sky. Celestina put the thought of going to space out of her head until a new teacher, Miss Stella, came. She seemed to be different and when she asked the students about their dreams and desires, Celestina stood up and expressed her desire to become an astronaut. Will she finally fulfill her Lunar Mission dreams once she grows up?

Celestina the Astronaut Ballerina: A Kids' Read-Aloud Picture Book About Space, Astronauts, and Following Your Dreams by Donald Jacobsen is an enchanting story that encourages children to pursue their dreams, no matter what they are, and to hold on to their hopes and dreams no matter what people around them think. Graham Evans's illustrations are whimsical and they capture the magic of space and make it tangible to young readers. The bonus activities at the end of the story will pull in readers and that makes the book good to use in classrooms and homes during activity time. The author makes science and astronomy interesting in a wonderful way. Celestina's character has been portrayed well and her underlying strength, self-belief, and holding on to her hopes are good lessons for youngsters to emulate while growing up. Written in rhyming verses, the story is lyrical and has a good pace and movement.