Hidden Figures Picture Book – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Hidden Figures Picture Book

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2018

94%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Forget the 'computers' in your pocket; meet the human ones who actually got us to the moon while fighting for a seat at the table.

Hidden Figures Picture Book

book

2018

94%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Forget the 'computers' in your pocket; meet the human ones who actually got us to the moon while fighting for a seat at the table.

4.8

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4.8

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Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Libby

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Screenwise Verdict

This isn't just a 'diversity' pick; it's a genuinely great book. It takes the complex, heavy history of the Space Race and Jim Crow and distills it into something a kindergartner can understand without losing the punch.

It’s vibrant, well-paced, and honestly, a lot more engaging than the 3-hour movie version for the little ones. If you want your kid to realize that NASA wasn't just guys in white shirts with buzzcuts, this is the starter pack. It's essential reading that manages to be both a history lesson and a genuine 'page-turner' for the picture book set.

Age Fit

Best for ages 4 to 10. Younger kids will dig the rocket ships and the colors, while older kids will actually grasp the weight of the Civil Rights era context.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It models incredible persistence, teamwork, and dignity in the face of unfair treatment. It’s a story about using your brain to change the world.

Imaginative

While it's a true story, the illustrations by Laura Freeman are vibrant and full of mathematical symbols and space motifs that spark curiosity about the cosmos.

Safe

100

Completely safe. It addresses historical racism and segregation, which are necessary for the context, but it does so in a way that is age-appropriate and empowering rather than traumatic.

Enriching

This is top-tier educational material. It covers STEM, Black history, women's history, and the Space Race all at once without feeling like a dry textbook.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It makes math look like a superpower, which is a massive win for any kid's library.
The artwork is stunning—it’s bright, detailed, and keeps kids engaged even during the more technical explanations.
It introduces complex historical concepts like Jim Crow laws in a way that kids can actually process and find unfair.
Perfect for showing that 'hero' doesn't always mean someone in a cape; sometimes it's someone with a pencil and a really fast brain.

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What to Watch For

It depicts segregation, including 'Colored' signs and restricted offices, so be ready to explain why things used to be that way.
The book covers four different women's lives, which can be a lot for very young kids to keep track of in one sitting.

Conversation Starters

"How would you feel if you weren't allowed to use the same bathroom as everyone else just because of how you looked?"
"Why do you think they called these women 'computers' before we had laptops and iPads?"
"Which of the four women—Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, or Christine—had the job that sounded the most exciting to you?"
"Do you think it was harder to get to the moon or to change the unfair laws on Earth?"

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Related Guides

Hidden Figures: A Parent's Guide to the Original 'Human Computers'

Use this inspiring NASA story to spark family conversations about STEM, racial history, and the evolution of modern technology.

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