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Dianne Bateman wrote her first book at 16 but was too shy to share with others. With the birth of her child and grandchild, she devoted much time to reading and passed along that love for children's adventure stories. After retiring from a successful business career, Dianne began to share her adventures of Rowdy and Princess - her beloved cats which created a large following. Her fans encouraged her to write a children's book and the idea for Jane the Astronaut was born! Dianne can be found in Florida zooming down the highway in her 1978 little red corvette (always with the music cranking).
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Jane the Astronaut: The Mystery of the Alien Dragons, written by Dianne Bateman and illustrated by Remesh Ram, is a children's science fiction/fantasy chapter book that follows a teen girl embarking on the adventure of her dreams. Jane comes home thrilled that she's won a science contest with a prize that is right up her alley as someone who wants to be a botanist and astronaut: a visit to the International Space Station. Jane's brother isn't impressed and questions her abilities based on gender, but Jane gets through the weeks of training and ultimately makes it on board. As she learns her job as an apprentice and begins to explore the station, she finds a small wooden door that opens up into another dimension....one with friendly little space dragons.
Dianne Bateman does well in weaving several themes through Jane the Astronaut as she tackles archaic social constructs about gender, women in STEM, the rewards for hard work that's done enthusiastically, and even questions surrounding mental and physical health and trust. When Jane shares what she finds, people who do not know her well enough to believe her think she's joking and her commander worries about her sanity. Her attachment to her newfound friends is wonderful to watch unfold while being equally heartbreaking as we know she will eventually have to leave them forever. The illustrations by Ramesh Ram are well done, in full color, and really bring the story to life. Recommended.
