Reviewed by: Ladybug Launch: Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space by Melissa Trempe Amanda Toledo Trempe, Melissa Ladybug Launch: Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space; by Melissa Trempe and Natalia Ojeda; illus. by Manuela Montoya. McElderry, 2024 [48p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781665930406 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781665930413 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad 4-6 yrs A ladybug, called a chinita in Chile, sits on a leaf dreaming of being amongst the stars, gazing into the cosmic-like smoke of a science experiment, at which a Chilean girl named Natalia smiles with focus. The two characters pursue their interests, flying higher literally (for Luna the ladybug) and academically (for Natalia) until chance brings them together and an idea is sprouted via classroom brainstorming: could ladybugs eat pests in space so that astronauts could one day grow crops up [End Page 299] there? A pitch to NASA leads to fundraising and scientific study by determined students, finally resulting in a ladybug in the window of a rocket looking down at Earth, a small Natalia gazing up at the sky, and an experiment brought to fruition. An author's note from Ojeda explains how this story was inspired by her real-life experience as a student in Chile who got to send ladybugs into outer space for NASA. Unfortunately, the story itself is an uneven attempt to be both a fantastical imaginary tale and an adaptation of a true, incredible moment in Chilean history, a moment where young girls made a social and scientific impact. Both approaches have their uses, but the anthropomorphized ladybug throws confusion into what should be an inspiring story about the things children can do when they dream big and ask questions; as a result, neither aspect of the story proves deeply satisfying. Still, Montoya's geometric illustrations provide plenty of opportunity for calling out recognizable shapes in a lapsit or storytime, and pages full of bold hues often bleeding to the pages' edges and cartoonish big-eyed characters capture the sense of excitement. Discussing the author's note in a storytime may encourage children to dabble in scientific experimentation and pursue their own out-of-this-world dreams.
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Amanda Toledo (2024) studied this question.