WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : A Quilt of Stars by Dr. Karen Nyberg, Ann McCallum Staats, and Alida Massari
ABOUT THE BOOK
Stitch together a dream with astronaut Karen Nyberg as she shares her quilt with the world, the stars, and beyond.
What would you do with an impossible dream?
Dr. Karen Nyberg yearned to reach the stars, and when they were finally within grasp, she wanted to share the extraordinary sight with the world. Seeing that the Earth from a distance was like a quilted masterpiece of people and places, she put her skills with needle and thread to use―in space!
When Nyberg lived on the International Space Station, she and NASA invited crafters from around the world to join a project to stitch together a global community quilt. Thousands of people from more than 30 countries stitched quilt squares that were combined to make 28 king-size quilts displayed at the 40th International Quilt Festival in Houston.
With dreamy illustrations from Alida Massari that perfectly capture Nyberg’s starry quilt and fun facts about space on every page, A Quilt of Stars is an accurate retelling of Karen Nyberg’s true story. 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.
REVIEW
A Quilt of Stars tells the true story of a dream achieved and a dream shared. Karen dreamed of being an astronaut from a young age. Despite women not being allowed to be astronauts at the time, Karen continued to pursue her dream until the day NASA allowed women to apply for the space program. While details are not provided about this part of the story, I assumed it was no easy task to pursue a dream inhibited by other's biases. The story also highlights Karen's love of sewing that she pursued along with learning to fly a supersonic jet and learning Russian. While spending 166 days on the International Space Station and working hard to solve numerous problems, Karen wanted her family to know she was missing them. To let her son know she missed him, she decided to try to sew a toy for him using the needles, thread, and cloth she'd brought along in her personal effects. But sewing in microgravity presented some unusual challenges. This success led Karen to proposing another sewing project that also invited people back on earth to participate. While making her own star-themed quilt square, she invited anyone who wished to to do the same for a quilt to be displayed at the next International Quilt Festival. They ended up with enough squares to complete 28 quilts. Those quilts can be found on display to this day, as the authors explain in the author's note at the end. An inspiring reminder that dreams mean even more when shared with others. Massari's lovely illustrations beautifully highlight Karen's ingenuity and hard work. Recommended.
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