Think about the mathematicians that you learned about in school. However, the purpose of this book isn’t so much to spark conversation around mathematical concepts, but instead a conversation about who is a mathematician. The mathematics depicted through Phumiruk’s illustrations involve calculations relevant to the physics and the arithmetic/analytic calculations involved in space study. I never had to repeat what I did.” (Interview, AARP)

If you do your best, nobody can ask you to do it over again. In fact, “computer” was actually the name for people that did the work that Katherine did.Īnd Katherine was precise. Here is a quote from Katherine about mathematics.

It is amazing what Katherine Johnson could do mathematically in an age before calculators and computers. This past August, Katherine Johnson turned 101. Katherine and three other women who worked at NASA during the space race (engineers Christine Darden and Mary Jackson, and computer programmer Dorothy Vaughan) were recently awarded congressional medals, the highest civilian award in the US. In 2015, Barack Obama awarded Katherine the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her pioneering work in STEM fields. Phumiruk beautiful art work provides for private moments of reflection during the reading of this remarkable picture book biography about a resilient, humble, and inspirational woman.Ĭounting on Katherine has won many awards, including, but not limited to, the ILA Teachers’ Choices Reading List Selection award, the Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year, an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, Mathicalhonor book, and a Junior Library Guild Selection award. Along the way, Katherine faced many racial and gender barriers. She followed her passion for mathematics all the way to NASA. The number of dishes and spoons she washed in the bright white sink.” (from Counting on Katherine)

The book follows Katherine along her path to becoming a NASA mathematician. Counting on Katherine was published in Henry Holt and Co. in 2019 and is recommended for children in kindergarten through 4th. Written by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Tiemdow Phumiruk Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Saved Apollo 13 tells the story of Katherine Johnson, the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned home safely.

Fortunately, one of these stories was brought to light in the last few years.* This post features a picture book about the brilliant, ground-breaking mathematician, Katherine Johnson. America’s history is full of untold stories.

Counting on katherine by helaine becker