Astronaut John Herrington shares his passion for space travel and his Chickasaw heritage as he gives children a glimpse into his astronaut training at NASA and his mission to the International Space Station. Learn what it takes to train for space flight, see the tasks he completed in space, and join him on his spacewalk 220 miles above the earth. This unique children s book is illustrated with photos from Herrington's training and space travel and includes an English-to-Chickasaw vocabulary list with space-related terms.

-Amazon description

Really nice, simple book on astronaut prep/life. Love the direct role model action -- Herrington is from the Chickasaw Nation, and the book talks about how his Nation celebrated his mission to the International Space Station. Very cool. ( )

The fact that the astronaut featured in this picture book is also who wrote the book creates a special connection to the story and what it represents. Herrington is a Chickasaw Indian and the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space. It is a simple premise overall, although a little too complex a subject matter to anyone under 5. The background of the entire book is the all-encompassing image of space-stars and a few comets on a dark blue black page. In front the text and real photographs from John's life inside various shaped boxes reminiscent of screens and grey parts of a space shuttle. I am not sure how much I like the story overall, but I do think it's an important story to tell. And the fact it's completely true makes it all the better. ( )