This picture book follows the life of astronaut Karen Nyberg, how she dreamed of going to space, worked extremely hard to get there, and, once up in the stars, showed the world the importance of quilts and sewing along with the science she was doing. The illustrations are as soft as a blanket and dazzling as the night sky, giving the reader a hug as the text dares you to dream big too.

Thank you NetGalley, Familius, Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats for the early access to A Quilt of Stars.

A Quilt if Stars is an astronomically beautifully illustrated picture book sharing the story of Karen Nyberg. The story is told through frames of quilted imagery of a woman's dream of becoming an astronaut during a time where women weren't. It is a beautiful story, with vivid imagery. This will be a fantastic tool in schools to showcase you can accomplish your dream through hard work.

"A Quilt of Stars" takes us through Karen Nyberg's journey to become an astronaut...and her multiple journeys into space, where in addition to doing cool science-y things (technical term) she found a way to apply another passion to space...by practicing spacecrafting! (Heh.)

This is really lovely—it's well timed, what with the recent NASA launch, and I don't know a ton about Nyberg, so it was nice to read something about her, and to think about some of the odd specifics of space. (Allowed just over three pounds of personal items for about six months in space, what would you bring?) The book talks about space and science, of course, but also about a collaborative quilting project that Nyberg engineered. I might have liked a little more about life on the space station, but then, that's the sort of thing that is more likely to be covered in picture books than why there are often stuffed animals in space even if the astronauts aren't the ones to design and sew them.

The illustrations are fantastic, lush and full-page with a dreamy color palette that emphasizes blue and gold. Gravity-free hair is a theme!

The theme of the quilting project was stars, and this would make such a good classroom read for young kids—learn a little about space, learn a little about quilting, and have kids design their own star-themed quilt blocks...out of paper or out of fabric, depending on time and resources.

Thanks to the authors and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for gifting this arc!


With beautiful illustrations done in a classical folk style similar to quilting, Dr. Nyberg's story shines like the stars she reached!

A wonderful role model for following your dreams, and especially for girls in STEM. With the Artemis II mission having just launched, all eyes will be on space content. This inspiring book stands out not just as a "girl power" moment, but an overall gem in children's STEM publications!

- Bethany B
Vertebrate Paleontologist and STEM Educator

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A Quilt of Stars: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream by Karen Nyberg is such a unique and inspiring story. It blends space, creativity, and community in a way that feels really special for a children’s book.

I loved how it shows that science and art don’t have to be separate. Watching Karen bring quilting into space—and then turn it into something that connected people all over the world—was such a cool and unexpected angle. It makes the idea of “following your dreams” feel a lot more real and tangible.

The illustrations by Alida Massari are absolutely beautiful. They have this dreamy, almost whimsical quality that really captures both the vastness of space and the warmth of the quilt itself. It adds so much to the story and makes it feel a little more magical.

Overall, this is such a thoughtful mix of STEM and creativity, with a really encouraging message about persistence and connection. It’s one of those books that feels just as inspiring for adults as it does for kids.

This is a great book to read with students! It is so informative while still reading like a picture book. I can imagine the words I would pull out to teach for vocabulary before we read the book. I also appreciate the text on the bottom of some of the pages that goes more in depth into some topics. I also appreciated the last page about the facts of Karen’s missions.

What a stunningly beautiful intersection of art and science, a celebration of both women's traditional craftwork and our unlimited potential when arbitrary gender restrictions don't impede us. The pacing and word counts are perfect for young readers and the illustrations simply stunning. A beautiful book that will spark imagination and aspiration in many young minds.

As a young girl, Karen Nyberg was fascinated with space. When an opportunity to join the space program came about, she jumped at the chance, merging her interest in arts and crafts with her career in space. The result was an amazing collaboration joining people from different walks of life together for a common goal. This book showcases strength, courage, inspiration, hope, and accomplishment, with colorful illustrations connecting quilts to space. Further explanation at the end of the book provides more details about Nyberg and her project. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for children.

A Quilt of Stars, a nonfiction picture book biography, shares the space journeys of Astronaut Karen Nyberg. A timely book with the recent NASA space launch of Artemis II for budding astronauts! With patience and persistence, Karen’s dream to train and become the 50th astronaut came true from a young age. She spent 166 days at the ISS space station to perform many cool experiments. Nyberg and Staat’s story cleverly weaves together how science meets art from the perspective of how we are all connected with the stars and life on Earth. Beautifully illustrated by Alida Massari, star squares come together from artists all over the world to create magnificent quilts. An inspiring tribute to space with fun STEM opportunities!

A fantastic picture book that would be perfect for the classroom! Dr Karen Nyberg shares her story, from her early dreams of longing to become an astronaut, through her hard work and training, to eventually traveling to space. Educational facts are sprinkled throughout the pages making it informative as well as engaging. Kids, parents and teachers will love this book.

I just loved the illustrations! So charming.

This was an awesome book! Beautiful illustrations! It was informative and fun. As a music teacher, I loved how something so STEM focused could also bring art and crafting in as an important and necessary part of the story. My students will love learning about being an astronaut, see women overcoming obstacles to reach their dreams, and enjoy the beauty and artistry of quilting/sewing/etc. #AQuiltOfStars #KarenNyberg #NetGalley