Stellarphant by James Foley

I love endpapers, and the first endpaper shows us long lines of framed photographs of male astronauts in the Hall of the Hero at Space Command. Each of them begs a second look, and eager eyes will notice not only the absence of women, but that the bottom row depicts photos of animals. Questions will explode, encouraging readers to read further.

Stella wants to be an astronaut, but the people at Command Centre think of a raft of excuses to deter her. She is able to overcome each of the reasons, showing them that their reasoning is flawed.

She is an elephant, but as she rightly points out, other animals have flown in space. She would not fit any of the space suits, so she sews her own. She has not had any training, so she trains. She has no crew, so she amasses one. Every time the people in charge (men) come up with a reason to impede her desire to be an astronaut, she is able to deflect their misgivings and provide a solution.

The story is wonderful, modelling never giving up, to always keep trying, to question and offer solutions. Stella reveals clever solutions to each of the obstructions put in her path and in the end she wins out, to the betterment of all her friends who now adorn their own Hall of Astronauts.

Readers will love Stella, with her frilly sleeves and big brown eyes, walking boldly into the Command Centre. They will eagerly spot the different animals dotted through the story, and watch out for the touches of humour that appear on each page. The receptionist at the Command Centre who keeps on tapping his keys and drinking his coffee when Stella approaches, signals the comic tone of the illustrations, ensuring readers will watch out for more digs at our modern world.  The plethora of crew cut men adorning the walls shows the lengths this organisation has taken to be exclusive. Readers will laugh at the comparisons between the endpapers at the start and end of the book, love the fold out page with its witty look at the new astronauts, and pore over the last endpaper with its list of just what has been sent into space. Astonishing.

A great read aloud, an informative introduction to the idea of space travel as well as promoting inclusivity,  Stella is an engaging character who will cheer readers with her positive outlook. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes: Space, STEM, Inclusivity, Discrimination, Animals, Space travel.

Fran Knight