Women on a Mission - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

This is an exciting collection of biographies of twelve women whose calculating, welding, computing, stitching, and engineering enabled Neil Armstrong to walk on the moon. A wonderful way to celebrate these dedicated and determined women who also paved the way for women in NASA and space. Combining photographs and colorful 1960's style illustrations of these scientists at work, this engaging and gorgeous STEM picture book beautifully honors these little-known heroes.

Women on a Mission: The Remarkable Heroes Who Put Men on the Moon

Author: Suzanne Slade

Illustrator: Molly Magnell

Publisher: Charlesbridge (October 28, 2025)

Ages: 6 - 9

Themes:

NASA,

Synopsis:

Neil couldn't have walked on the moon without Josephine, Dee, and Katherine. An inspiring introduction to the "hidden figures" of NASA’s Team Apollo!

Mechanical engineer Suzanne Slade highlights 12 female pioneers of STEM in this encouraging nonfiction picture book, perfect for 6-to-9-year-old aspiring engineers and astronauts!

This is the story of our daring quest to visit the moon, featuring twelve talented women who helped get us there. These women performed a variety of daunting jobs to accomplish the first moon landing. Some of their impressive accomplishments include:

How Phyllis Gaylard helped design the descent engine that allowed for a gentle landing on the lunar surface.

Hazel Fellows’ creation of the spacesuits that shielded the astronauts on the moon.

And Katherine Johnson’s verification of the flight calculations that let them return home safely.

Playful, retro-style illustrations pay homage to the 60s era.

Despite sexism and racism, these "hidden figures" persisted, contributing to the space program and paving the way for future women engineers and astronauts. Women on a Mission will surely astound and inspire young readers.

Opening Lines:

Introduction:

The Women Behind the Moonwalk

In 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the

moon. The world was astounded! But Neil couldn’t have done it

without the help of Josephine, Dee, Rita, Katherine, and other

women on Team Apollo

What I LOVED about this book:

Though thousands of women worked on the Apollo Missions, Suzanne Slade narrowed it down to twelve women for this book, largely "because twelve men walked on the moon." She focused on highlighting numerous aspects of the entire moon mission - Mary Golda Ross (Planetary Flight Handbook), Margaret Brennecke (Rocket Design), Josephine Jue (Computer- organization), Dee O'Hara (Nurse), JoAnn Morgan (Instrumentation Control), Reatha Clark King (Rocket Fuel), Rita Rupp (Nutrition), Phyllis Gaylard (Lunar Module Engine), Naomi McAfee (Space Camera), Hazel Fellows (Space Suits), Yvonne Young Clark (Rock Box), and Katherine Johnson (Re-entry Calculations). Introducing readers not just to these heroes, but to the varied and fascinating aspects involved in successful space travel and exploration. I love that Molly Magnell symbolically took these twelve women, who contributed so much to this mission, to the moon themselves.

Text © Suzanne Slade, 2025. Image © Molly Magnell, 2025.

Thanks to the book and movie Hidden Figures, many readers will know of Katherine Johnson, but perhaps none of the other women. Susan Slade chose fascinating women who distinguished themselves, in their education and fields, at a time when many dismissed or actively sought to preclude women from careers in science. Determined and brilliant, hardworking and creative, the grit of these women helped the Apollo Missions succeed.

I adore the format of these mini biographies! They all include a photograph and an engaging description of how each woman contributed to the mission.

Text © Suzanne Slade, 2025. Image © Molly Magnell, 2025.

“Five, four, three, two, one, zero . . . Liftoff!”

Powerful flames ignited beneath the Saturn V rocket.

As the rocket climbed the morning sky, the fuel

burned smooth and steady,

Then we're offered an amazing, colorful illustration of each women fulfilling their part of the effort to safely get the astronauts to the moon and back. As well as a condensed biography detailing what drew them to their STEM profession, their education, and how they ended a part of the Apollo Missions.

Text © Suzanne Slade, 2025. Image © Molly Magnell, 2025.

A quotation from each offers a special, small personal window into these amazing women. Such as the quote from Phyllis Gaylard, aerospace engineer - “If you do work you enjoy, then it’s not ‘work.’ That’s what I like about engineering.”

In addition to these women, the conclusion also acknowledges Margaret Hamilton (Development of flight software) and Dorothy Lee, (Assisted in designing the heat shield). And the back matter honors the groundbreaking, first American women astronauts - Sally Ride, Judith Resnik, Kathryn Sullivan,

Anna Fisher, Rhea Seddon, and Shannon Lucid - and details their accomplishments. I love the group photo included of these astronauts.

The back matter also includes further reading, websites, and a peek into the author's process and interviews. This STEM picture book is a stunning tribute to the women who helped make the Apollo Missions possible, whose determination and intelligence not only helped open the door for space travel and exploration, but also created the foundation for women astronauts, engineers, and scientists.

Resources:

• 

  make your own rocket. Some ideas - (5 ideas) or (NASA's straw/paper rocket)

• create your own lunar lander (NASA project)

• check out the book's activity guide - https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0750/0101/files/women-on-a-mission-activity-kit.pdf?v=1755017323

If you missed my interview with Suzanne Slade on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.