Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly

Laura Freeman (Illustrator)

4 of 5 stars 13 ratings • 6 reviews • 36 shelved
Book cover for Hidden Figures

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Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers! 

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career.

"Finally, the extraordinary lives of four African American women who helped NASA put the first men in space is available for picture book readers," proclaims Brightly in their article "18 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018." "Will inspire girls and boys alike to love math, believe in themselves, and reach for the stars."


  • ISBN10 0063086573
  • ISBN13 9780063086579
  • Publish Date 21 January 2021 (first published 6 September 2016)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
  • Imprint HarperCollins
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 40
  • Language English