Blasting Off

New children’s books about astronaut Sunita Williams take kids on interstellar adventures.

During her time stationed on the International Space Station, astronaut Sunita Williams broke records for the most spacewalks by a woman, and the most spacewalk time for a woman—exceeding 50 hours.

The daughter of Mumbai Indian American Deepak Pandya and Slovene American Ursuline Bonnie Zalokar Pandya, Williams also ran the very first marathon in space, as an entrant for the 2007 Boston Marathon. With a host of new books, children across the world can celebrate her space adventures, and keep dreaming big.

Little Tail, Big Tales:

The Adventures of an Astronaut’s Dog, Gorby and His Two and Four Legged Friends. Written by Bonnie Pandya, the mother of Sunita Williams, this new book showcases “Suni,” about to head to space for a 6-month stay on the International Space Station, and her best friend, a Jack Russelll terrier named Gorby. From space, Suni must help her friend stay out of trouble and teach him the wonders of the stars.

Suni Goes to Space Available in India, this Little Leaders book is a beautifully illustrated rendition of Sunita’s journey to space. The story traces how Suni first hears of Neil Armstrong’s mission to the moon, and her wonder on how he got there — ladder? balloon? bird? But when she discovers it was via spacecraft, she’s inspired to get there herself.

Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids Perfect for older kids (aged 8 to 11), this collection explores the adventures of women astronauts including Sunita Williams. The book offers hands-on projects like building rovers and rockets, and a model of the International Space Station itself. Everything uses simple supplies, but gives girls the hands-on approach to help them succeed in any science career.