Illustrated book cover titled "Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark" with a woman holding a pen, a blueprint, a rocket model, and colorful stars in the background. Written by Allen R. Wells and illustrated by DeAndra Hodge.

Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark

Based on a true story, this inspiring picture book is about a curious, tinkering girl who grew up to become one of the first Black female engineers for NASA – for fans of Ada Twist, Scientist and Counting on Katherine.

Yvonne Clark had an engineering spark—an instinct for figuring out how things worked.

Broken lamp? She screwed, rewired, and wrenched until…light! Wrecked radio? She twisted, snipped, and hammered until…music! Clogged furnace? She picked, plucked, and cleared until…heat!

When she grew up, Yvonne’s problem-solving power took her to NASA, where
fellow engineers had a serious problem with the Saturn V rocket’s F-1 engine: It had hot
spots—high temperatures in the engine.

Can Yvonne Clark and her engineering spark solve the problem?

In an electric tribute, Allen R. Wells artfully tells the life story of his favorite engineering professor who also happened to be one our nation’s most influential African American engineers. DeAndra Hodge’s bright illustrations explode with energy, matching the vibrance of Yvonne as a creative child and following her rise to NASA and beyond.

Author -Allen R. Wells

Design - Melisa Vuong

A buoyant profile of Yvonne Clark (1929-2019), a lifelong tinkerer with a knack for making everything work better, from the family toaster to giant rockets.

— Kirkus Reviews

“Pages bedazzled with comic book–style stars amplify the text’s snappy, often punning articulation of how passion’s “spark” can yield superhero-like powers.”

— Publishers Weekly

“Inspirational fare for aspiring engineers and scientists.”

— Kirkus Reviews

Illustration of a family at a breakfast table with a malfunctioning toaster emitting smoke and sparks, alarming two adults and one child, while another child looks intrigued. Beside it, a girl holds the toaster while running.
Illustration of a young girl reading a book at a desk, surrounded by blueprints and mathematical symbols. On the right, the girl is walking towards a large, classic building with a clock tower, situated in a scenic grassy area.
Illustration of a woman using a ruler on blueprints with various mechanical parts on a table.