A Quilt of Stars: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream

Stitch together a dream with astronaut Karen Nyberg as she shares her quilt with the world, the stars, and beyond.

What would you do with an impossible dream?

Dr. Karen Nyberg yearned to reach the stars, and when they were finally within grasp, she wanted to share the extraordinary sight with the world. Seeing that the Earth from a distance was like a quilted masterpiece of people and places, she put her skills with needle and thread to use―in space!

When Nyberg lived on the International Space Station, she and NASA invited crafters from around the world to join a project to stitch together a global community quilt. Thousands of people from more than 30 countries stitched quilt squares that were combined to make 28 king-size quilts displayed at the 40th International Quilt Festival in Houston.

With dreamy illustrations from Alida Massari that perfectly capture Nyberg’s starry quilt and fun facts about space on every page, A Quilt of Stars is an accurate retelling of Karen Nyberg’s true story. This book is an inspiration to those in love with STEM and art, teaching children that anyone with a goal, a community, and a dash of persistence can stitch together a dream.

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About the Author

Dr. Karen Nyberg is a retired NASA astronaut, mechanical engineer, and textile artist. She flew two space missions, including a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station, where she sewed a quilt block and a small dinosaur toy for her son in her free time. Today, she creates art quilts inspired by her life and family and designs fabric based on her photographs of Earth. Through her books, she encourages young readers to blend science, creativity, and imagination as they pursue their dreams.

Ann McCallum Staats is the award-winning author of over a dozen children’s books, mostly nonfiction. A former teacher, she has taught in three countries and at three different levels (elementary math, college English, high school English as a Second Language). Her very first teaching gig was in a one-room school in northern British Columbia, Canada. Ann’s book research includes interviewing incredible people (Most recently, a senator, astronauts, and jet and commercial pilots) and conducting field tests such as scuba and sky diving. Ann’s first book “The Secret Life of Math,” won ForeWord Review’s Gold Book of the Year and she hasn’t stopped since. When she’s not writing, Ann travels, mentors, and connects with audiences. Find out more at her website: www.annmccallumbooks or on Instagram @Annmsbooks or other social media channels.