Overview and Outcomes:

In this ten-session Writing Root, which we suggest will take 3 weeks to cover, the children meet Rocket who is obsessed with space travel and all things space: it’s her dream to be ‘the greatest astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller ‘ ever. A NASA space-station/ training base is set up, for which the children make signs and captions and then the story ‘Look Up!’ is shared. The children create flyers, infer the characters’ feelings, advise the main character and then write a narrative sequel. Early Reading teaching is embedded throughout and suggestions for Continuous Provision are also made.

Updated for the September 2021 Statutory EYFS Framework

Synopsis of Text:

Rocket wants to be the greatest astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller who has ever lived, just like Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space.
She's so excited about seeing a meteor shower that she makes an announcement over the supermarket loudspeaker when the cashier isn't looking, and hands out flyers to her fellow shoppers, much to her older brother Jamal's disdain - after all, Jamal prefers to be looking down at his phone most of the time and not up at the stars. And when Jamal gets too into his gaming to take Rocket to the park to watch the meteor shower, what will she do? Fortunately a knock at the door provides a joyous solution...

Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola's charming picture book gifts us with a gorgeous character in Rocket, a girl whose passion for all things space is as inspiring to the reader as her heroine Mae Jemison is to her. Adeola has a real talent for portraying expression, from teen Jamal's sulks to Rocket's jubilation at watching the stars.
Sprinkled with facts about meteors and space, this charming picture book is also a lovely representation of family, sibling relationships and one girl's infectious enthusiasm.

Text Rationale:

This book has been hailed as an important picture book for positive representation of race, gender and culture. Good for children exploring self and others in terms of preferences and interests and works effectively as a starting point for both fiction and non-fiction outcomes, not least due to the links with science and the natural world that can be made. 

Links and Themes:

Space, materials, relationships, family, bravery

Date written: October 2020