What if you could travel through time, meet extraordinary women scientists, and still be home for dinner? In Caroline Fernandez’s delightful Asha and Baz series (Common Deer Press), young readers embark on just such adventures. The series introduces us to Asha, a curious and inventive girl, and Baz, her cautious yet supportive friend. Together, the duo journey through time to meet remarkable women from STEM fields, offering both inspiration and education for today’s budding scientists.
Fernandez shares that she “wanted to write about one character who was curious, and another who was a worrier. It seemed complementary.” Put another way, “Asha and Baz balance each other out with inspiration and empathy.” This dynamic not only makes their adventures engaging, but highlights the beauty of friendships where individuals who are fundamentally different “understand and accept each other just the way they are.”
The series’ scientific premise stems from Fernandez’s deep awareness that “there are so many amazing women in history who made wonderful discoveries in STEM field, but they often didn’t get the recognition they deserve.” What better way to bridge this gap than a series where “modern day kids would meet women in STEM throughout history”? Time travel provides a pseudo-scientific vehicle, through which “the kids meet women scientists who are directly connected to something Asha and Baz are studying in class.” And this hook helps with the “challenge of taking ‘big science concepts’ and shrinking them to chapter book readers’ reading levels.”
Black-and-white illustrations by Dharmali Patel add charm and depth to the stories – plus they help readers to “learn along with Asha and Baz”. Fernandez is an admirer of Patel’s work, noting that “the illustrations help give the reader needed reading breaks to digest the concepts in the story.” They are also “a great way to convey big emotions!”
Asha and Baz have been busy. So far, their series includes:
- Asha and Baz Meet Mary Sherman Morgan (2022), where the duo travels back in time to meet the United States’ first female rocket scientist;
- Asha and Baz Meet Hedy Lamarr (2023), which introduces readers to the famous actor and inventor;
- Asha and Baz Meet Elizebeth Friedman (2023), featuring a World War II codebreaker;
- Asha and Baz Meet Katia Krafft (2024), where they explore the science of volcanoes with the renowned volcanologist.
And Fernandez is excited about upcoming instalments:
- Book 5, Asha and Baz Meet Gladys West (May 2025) where readers will learn about the mathematician whose work contributed to modern-day GPS;
- Book 6 (2026) will feature Mary Anning, a pioneering fossil finder; and
- Book 7 (2026) will spotlight Sylvia Earle, a renowned oceanographer.
In addition to the Asha and Baz series, Fernandez is the author of the popular Boredom Busters (series), Stop Reading This Book, and The Adventures of Grandmasaurus (series). “Seeing children reading the Asha and Baz books in the wild” gives the prolific author (and avid baker) a thrill every time. To those new to the series, she stresses that there is no barrier to jumping into any book in the series, as each book is a stand-alone adventure.
The clever blend of education with engaging storytelling makes the Asha and Baz series an invaluable addition to any child’s library. And teachers, please note that the series is a rich source of charming and thought-provoking read-alouds, with plenty to discover and discuss with students. Accompanying activity sheets for each book (and others published by Common Deer Press) are available on commondeerpress.com so that readers can extend their learning with Asha and Baz.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine 2025
