What do you think?
Rate this book
Suzy Orbit, Astronaut
When Suzy Orbit and her boss, Captain Gizmo, hear that aliens have been spotted near their space station, they must act fast! But Captain Gizmo has no batteries for his space pod, his swanky new spacesuit is far too small, and there’s no chance of ordering a meteor blaster in time. Luckily, Suzy Orbit – astronaut and engineer extraordinaire – is on hand with her spanner and brilliant inventing skills. Suzy knows that a bit of quick thinking and ingenuity are even better than ordering new stuff. . . if only Captain Gizmo will listen!
- GenresPicture BooksSpace
32 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 22, 2024
How to word this without giving offense. Hmm. Alright, let's do this: we OWN two books about visible minority female STEM characters in and/or interested in space (Rocket Says Look Up!, and Zoom: Space Adventure). We've also got the terrific Violet the Pilot (female, STEM, but white).
I'm obviously all for diversity and females in STEM and all, it's a good thing (speaking as an old female of STEM).
But it can't be the sole basis for the story. Because that's trite and insulting... and Lt. Uhura was around in the 60s... 70 years ago?! Can that be right?!).
I sincerely hope that I've misjudged this and there was a solid plot at the core of this, but sometimes I get this icky feeling that "black girls in space" and "girls in STEM" are selling, and they're simply requesting books to fit the bill and churning out just sort of meh stories which will ultimately be uninspirational to the intended audience... I mean, I guess all publishers do this, to some degree (and it shows).
So this story, I suppose, is meant to show that a panicked captain's preference for online shopping is silly when you could simply make your own (Suzy Orbit can, anyway).
The problem is that it fails. Check this out:
In the end, they need a 'top-of-the-range meteroid blaster" (should be meteor, since they're blasting them from within space and not within Earth's atmosphere, which is a natural and top-notch meteroid blaster anyway!), and Suzy Orbit's already made one on her own (well done).
So what's the message here? "Anticipate needs your moron boss can't and have secret side projects to save the day?!" (Not a terrible moral, really...! Ha ha ha! Inept management, capable engineers - an age-old story, that!).
No, I *think* they're going for "homemade over bought", or "innovation is best", while trying to show Suzy Orbit's an engineering wizard... but it's very hard to believe that she's any good when she suggests a vintage, knitted, buttoned Lurex cardigan as the basis for a space suit. C'mon, even a preschooler with some interest in STEM knows that's not to snuff. "An old bike" to convert a lunar lander into a space pod? We had questions, and concerns.
Couldn't they have written something more focused on showcasing a clever last-minute replacement part? WHY COULDN'T SUZY ORBIT SIMPLY REWIRE THE NEW SPACE POD'S ELECTRICS AND/OR COBBLE TOGETHER AN ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCE?! The one her moronic boss buys he doesn't have the right batteries for. Batteries! THEY TEACH SIMPLE CIRCUITS TO 3 AND 4 YEAR OLDS HERE - couldn't Suzy have simply said, "Relax, Captain Gizmo! What voltage battery does it take? I can sort out a replacement!" and show her drawing a simple circut with Amps and ohms and show her to be clever and innovative and quick-thinking, always coming to the rescue? Math! Engineering! Science! Tech! It could have been so easy! You wouldn't even have had to explain the (relatively simple) math, just shown that it can be easily calculated, and batteries can be relayed..!
And CAN you cobble together a speaking translator in minutes?! Probably not. She could have said, "Don't worry, boss! I saw you using Skype* earlier when you tried to order one - we'll simply Skype a translator over the viewscreen, you bumbling twit!" (*video chat with Skype-inspired controls shown in the book). I can't help but notice that her boss was a useless, blubbering white male. Is the sequel going to show their comparative earnings and pay-stubs? Or the story of how that nincompoop got promoted to "Captain" in the first place? Nepotism? Sexism? Casual racism?
This got ranty. Look, again, I'm a female in STEM from a generation when we didn't have books like this one, and I'm not sure this particular story would motivate anyone to go into STEM. I'll add to that - the small audience seems STEM-savvy, and the small preschool audience wasn't impressed. Maybe a kid without a scientific mind would be impressed... but then what's the point?
TL:DR - looks good to the marketing team, but protag isn't displaying cleverness or good STEM concepts
I'm obviously all for diversity and females in STEM and all, it's a good thing (speaking as an old female of STEM).
But it can't be the sole basis for the story. Because that's trite and insulting... and Lt. Uhura was around in the 60s... 70 years ago?! Can that be right?!).
I sincerely hope that I've misjudged this and there was a solid plot at the core of this, but sometimes I get this icky feeling that "black girls in space" and "girls in STEM" are selling, and they're simply requesting books to fit the bill and churning out just sort of meh stories which will ultimately be uninspirational to the intended audience... I mean, I guess all publishers do this, to some degree (and it shows).
So this story, I suppose, is meant to show that a panicked captain's preference for online shopping is silly when you could simply make your own (Suzy Orbit can, anyway).
The problem is that it fails. Check this out:
"Do we have a space pod?"
"Not exactly, but I do have a lunar lander and an old bike! I'll MAKE a space pod!"
...
"Do we have a shiny new spacesuit?"
"Not exactly, but I do have Aunt Edna's silver cardigan and some intergalactic goggles"..
...
.."have a speak-o-phone that will translate everything I say?"
.."but I have lots of useful stuff in the workshop - I can definitely MAKE one!"
In the end, they need a 'top-of-the-range meteroid blaster" (should be meteor, since they're blasting them from within space and not within Earth's atmosphere, which is a natural and top-notch meteroid blaster anyway!), and Suzy Orbit's already made one on her own (well done).
So what's the message here? "Anticipate needs your moron boss can't and have secret side projects to save the day?!" (Not a terrible moral, really...! Ha ha ha! Inept management, capable engineers - an age-old story, that!).
No, I *think* they're going for "homemade over bought", or "innovation is best", while trying to show Suzy Orbit's an engineering wizard... but it's very hard to believe that she's any good when she suggests a vintage, knitted, buttoned Lurex cardigan as the basis for a space suit. C'mon, even a preschooler with some interest in STEM knows that's not to snuff. "An old bike" to convert a lunar lander into a space pod? We had questions, and concerns.
Couldn't they have written something more focused on showcasing a clever last-minute replacement part? WHY COULDN'T SUZY ORBIT SIMPLY REWIRE THE NEW SPACE POD'S ELECTRICS AND/OR COBBLE TOGETHER AN ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCE?! The one her moronic boss buys he doesn't have the right batteries for. Batteries! THEY TEACH SIMPLE CIRCUITS TO 3 AND 4 YEAR OLDS HERE - couldn't Suzy have simply said, "Relax, Captain Gizmo! What voltage battery does it take? I can sort out a replacement!" and show her drawing a simple circut with Amps and ohms and show her to be clever and innovative and quick-thinking, always coming to the rescue? Math! Engineering! Science! Tech! It could have been so easy! You wouldn't even have had to explain the (relatively simple) math, just shown that it can be easily calculated, and batteries can be relayed..!
And CAN you cobble together a speaking translator in minutes?! Probably not. She could have said, "Don't worry, boss! I saw you using Skype* earlier when you tried to order one - we'll simply Skype a translator over the viewscreen, you bumbling twit!" (*video chat with Skype-inspired controls shown in the book). I can't help but notice that her boss was a useless, blubbering white male. Is the sequel going to show their comparative earnings and pay-stubs? Or the story of how that nincompoop got promoted to "Captain" in the first place? Nepotism? Sexism? Casual racism?
This got ranty. Look, again, I'm a female in STEM from a generation when we didn't have books like this one, and I'm not sure this particular story would motivate anyone to go into STEM. I'll add to that - the small audience seems STEM-savvy, and the small preschool audience wasn't impressed. Maybe a kid without a scientific mind would be impressed... but then what's the point?
TL:DR - looks good to the marketing team, but protag isn't displaying cleverness or good STEM concepts
January 26, 2025
Captain Gizmo is a conventional thinker and more than a little wet. Fortunately, the resourceful Suzy saves the day!
The illustrations are gorgeous.
The illustrations are gorgeous.
February 16, 2020
(to be reviewed)
January 8, 2020
Great story about two astronauts being in space and needed help from the last people they expected! Perfect for children!
August 12, 2019
Lovely idea and execution
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews