Happy Book Birthday to QUILT OF STARS: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream! This inspiring and beautiful written picture book, published by Familius, is co-authored by the impressibly accomplished and talented duo of Dr. Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats and gorgeously illustrated by Alida Massari.
I’m a huge fan of picture book biographies, and my local children’s room librarians attest that school children love them, too. I predict with absolute confidence that this stunning book will soon vault to “most requested” status and win awards galore. I’m over-the-moon excited to welcome the co-authors to Writers’ Rumpus and to introduce them to all of you!
Laura: Karen, I love how QUILT OF STARS makes your amazing experience accessible for school children, from your childhood dream of doing research in space to seeing the quilt of stars initiative come to glorious fruition at the International Quilt Festival in Houston.
How did you pursue becoming an astronaut despite how unlikely success seemed at the time? When on the international space station, how did you dream up the quilt of stars idea, especially making it an international community project?
Karen: I was eight years old when NASA first selected women as astronauts, and that was when becoming an astronaut first became a dream of mine. As I got older, I understood that the chances of actually becoming one were very small. I chose to study engineering because I enjoyed math and science and knew it could lead to a career I would be happy with even if I never made it to space. Along the way, I looked for opportunities that could bring me closer to that goal, including becoming a co-op student at Johnson Space Center while I was at the University of North Dakota. I just kept taking the next step and eventually applied to the astronaut program.
The quilt project grew out of my desire to continue some of the hobbies I enjoyed on Earth while I was living on the International Space Station. I brought a small sewing kit with me to try quilting in space and make gifts for my family. That evolved into a worldwide challenge inviting people to contribute their own star-themed quilt blocks. The response was incredible. More than 2,400 blocks came in from about 30 countries and were assembled into 28 quilt panels.
Laura: I adore this quote: “This book is an inspiration to those in love with STEM and art, teaching children that anyone with a goal, a community, and a dash of persistence can stitch together a dream.” Ann, can you share how the vision to turn this experience into a picture book came about, and how you come together as writing partners?
Ann: I first met Karen when I was researching a young adult book called High Flyers: 15 Inspiring Women Aviators and Astronauts. During our interview, I was fascinated by how, despite Karen’s humble roots, she used grit and determination to achieve her dream of becoming an astronaut. There was another story there, too, the one about the community quilt and how Karen sewed in space and then invited people from around the world to contribute their own quilt squares. I didn’t focus on this other story for High Flyers, but when Karen and I connected a while later, we agreed that this would make a powerful picture book. While on the International Space Station, Karen was struck by the view of Earth. The quilt project became a metaphor for the earth’s patchwork of people and places—individuals that make up a connected whole. We both envisioned a picture book because we wanted to reach young people, and we also thought the illustration opportunities would enhance the story (They do! Thank you, Alida).
Laura: Karen, Quilt of Stars will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of astronauts and quilters, and perhaps individuals like you who do both so brilliantly. While the narration provides the perfect amount of information about your training to become an astronaut, I noticed the sidebars on each page provide more detailed STEM information for interested readers. Whose idea was it to add the sidebars? Or the detailed author’s note at the end of the book? Did you collaborate on all parts, or split up the writing by section?
Karen: We felt it was important to include an author’s note because this is a true story. We wanted to provide an engaging story within the book itself, but the note was necessary to tie it into my real life experience and to provide the many more details that the text couldn’t cover. We hope those additional details leave readers curious to learn more about space, science, and the story behind the book.
Ann: The sidebars were a natural extension of the text. There is so much cool science and history embedded in Karen’s experience. We wanted to tell the story so that it was engaging for readers, but for that second or even tenth read, we wanted to offer kids these kernels of extra information, facts that would spark their curiosity and that they could then go off and learn more about. A picture book has a limited word count because it’s meant to be read in one sitting. But the sidebars are that piece of enrichment that allows kids to dive deeper into the amazing science of things.
Since the story is told in chronological order, it would be hard to split up sections. This is the first time I’ve worked with a co-author, and it was fun. Obviously, Karen lived the story, so we talked a lot about it before we put words to paper. We wanted it to be accessible and enjoyable by young kids so we had to trim things and make sure that the words flowed on the page.
Laura: You totally succeeded in making the words flow and in making QUILT OF STARS engaging and accessible for young readers. Ann, as a writer and copy editor myself, I’m in absolute awe of how you seamlessly (and lyrically) “stitched together” verbs that relate to Karen’s passion for quilting. From the very first page, these verbs are delightfully evident, and they continue throughout the story. How did you achieve this “seamless thread”? Did it come naturally or was it crafted through multiple drafts? What advice can you give to writers about the importance of tying verbs to passions and how to achieve it?
Ann: The ‘seamless thread’ was achieved through multiple drafts. Because it’s a book for young people, we wanted to inspire and motivate but also make it fun to read. The use of sewing-related terms was another layer we thought would enhance the fun-factor. Because this is a book that connects science and art, we worked to incorporate those two concepts.
Laura: Karen, I found this photo of you in space with your hair flying freely (from lack of gravity), and I absolutely love how illustrator Alida Massari captured this in her stunning artwork. How did you and Ann collaborate with Alida throughout the book creation process? And how did you wash your hair in space?
Karen: As is the case with many publishers, our publisher chose the illustrator. We provided photos for reference, and it was really fun to see how Alida incorporated details from them into the illustrations. Once we saw the sketches, we were able to give feedback through the publisher, particularly on factual details. There was also some back and forth on the cover before we arrived at the final version.
Because I have long hair, there are plenty of photos of me in space with my hair going every which way, and Alida captured that really well in the illustrations. Washing my hair in space was definitely different than on Earth, especially without running water. I used a pouch of warm water to wet the roots of my hair, followed by no-rinse shampoo, worked it through with a towel, and then let my hair air dry.
There’s actually a video of the process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIjNfZbUYu8
Laura: The publisher for this beautiful book is Familius. Did you approach this publisher directly or through an agent? With a co-authored book such as this, how did the submission and publication process work?
Ann: We sold this book on our own and the process was unusually quick. When we reached out to Familius with our initial query letter, they came back with interest right away. We had a video call with them and shortly afterward, we were offered a contract. This was new territory for me since, like I said, I’d never worked with a co-author before. But it’s not that different from collaborating with an illustrator. For example, when I wrote my Eat Your Homework books, the illustrator Leeza Hernandez and I did a ton of marketing work together. For A Quilt of Stars, there was more back and forth initially, but creating a book always involves teamwork, so it wasn’t that radically different than being the solo author like with my other books.
Laura: I’m not surprised to learn that Familius jumped on the opportunity to publish this! QUILT OF STARS is a book that readers (children and caregivers alike) will reach for again and again and gain new insights and inspiration each time. What message(s) do you hope readers will gain? This is a question for both of you!
Karen: When I look back, I see the sewing I did in space as more than just something I enjoyed doing in my free time. Sewing and making things had always been part of my life, and continuing that on the Space Station gave me a connection to home and to a familiar part of myself. Through the Astronomical Quilts! Block Challenge, that connection grew to include people from all over the world.
I hope kids come away from the book believing that big dreams are worth pursuing, even though getting there often happens through many smaller steps. I also hope they see that science and creativity don’t have to be separate things. Both have always been important parts of my life.
And finally, I hope readers take away that larger idea of connection. Looking at Earth from space, I saw a world filled with different people, places, and cultures, but also one planet that we all share. In its own way, I think the quilt project reflected that too.
Ann: As parents and caregivers and the ones handing off the world to the younger generation, we have a huge responsibility. I hope that readers will feel encouraged by Karen’s story and that it may seed whatever dreams they set for themselves. I know I’m moved by her story. Karen comes from humble roots, yet she succeeded in a seemingly impossible dream—to become an astronaut.
I also love the combined science and art aspects of this story. Engaging in science can help improve the world, but so does the pursuit of creativity. Really, having a curious mind open to imagination and creativity encourages a world of possibility.
Laura: Now for a totally unrelated question. Please share three fun tidbits about yourselves!!
Karen:
1.) I didn’t fly on an airplane until I was a senior in high school (but eventually flew in space!).
2.) I once lived underwater for seven days in a science habitat called Aquarius.
3.) I ran my first 50K trail ultramarathon at age 54.
Ann:
1) I once went tandem skydiving, scuba diving, and riding in a race car in the name of research for a book.
2) I’ve ridden a camel, a horse, and an elephant.
3) I rode a motorcycle to school in eleventh and twelfth grade.
Laura: You are both absolutely fearless! Thank you for the photos!! What’s next for you both – including your upcoming book tour? How can fans follow you?
Karen: The book tour this fall is going to keep me busy, and I’m really looking forward to sharing A Quilt of Stars with kids and families around the country. Beyond the book, I’m always working on something in my studio. I have a couple of textile art projects underway, along with some larger collaborative projects that bring together art and science. Much of my work explores ideas that are important to me, including connection, caring for our planet, and bringing people together.
Ann: A Quilt of Stars releases today, and Karen and I are going on a national book tour. We have events planned in Washington, DC, Miami, Houston, and Seattle through the end of this year. I also have a couple of events in British Columbia, Canada, and both of us are doing local events in our own communities (Karen in Utah and me in Virginia). Find out more about these activities on our websites or through social media: www.karennyberg.com and www.annmccallumbooks.com
You can also read me on Instagram: @astrokarenn @annmsbooks
Laura: There are wonderful bookstores in and around my home town of Andover, Massachusetts that I’m sure would love to host your book tour! If I can help make any connections, please let me know!
Now for information about the exciting book giveaway: To earn a chance to win your very own copy of QUILT OF STARS, just write a comment on the post. If you share this post through social media, you earn another chance to win! The winner (U.S. mailing addresses only) will be randomly selected on October 7th. Good luck!
Drumroll, please! I’m deeply humbled to share Karen and Ann’s impressive bios:
Dr. Karen Nyberg is an engineer, astronaut, and artist who, through nearly thirty years of experience in human spaceflight, has gained an appreciation for the value of working within and across diverse political ideologies, cultural values, and world views to advance critical missions. She was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps in 2000. She made her first trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008 and helped to deliver and install the Japanese Laboratory section of the International Space Station. On her second spaceflight in 2013, Karen launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and lived and worked at ISS for 166 days. Today she speaks, creates, and connects with audiences from her home base in Utah.
Ann McCallum Staats is a former teacher (high school ESL, overseas college, and elementary math) with a master’s degree in education from the University of Maryland. She’s the award-winning author of over fifteen titles. These include Fantastic Flora: The World’s Biggest, Baddest, and Smelliest Plants, illustrated by Zoë Ingram, along with High Flyers: 15 Inspiring Women Aviators and Astronauts and Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports. Ann’s books have earned recognition from the Junior Library Guild, Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of the Year, Texas Topaz, ForeWord Review’s Gold Book of the Year, and others. A dedicated and passionate team player, Ann lives in Virginia where she advocates for kids by connecting them to the joy of reading.
