One Giant Leap

by Mary Ann Fraser

Using NASA transcripts, as well as the recollections of the astronauts involved, the author recounts all of the details of the Apollo 11 flight, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

88 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong aboard the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon. The story begins with the launch of the Saturn V rocket and ends with Neil Armstrong saying his famous line, “That’s one small step for man.” This book attempts to inspire adventure and courage for a new generation of astronauts and engineers.

I really liked this book, but I love space history anyway. I think Mary Ann Fraser did a fantastic job researching this topic and writing it in such a way that it didn’t sound too forced or boring. I also loved her illustrations and the different perspectives she brought to the moon landing.

I would probably use this book in a unit about space to teach about the first moon landing. We might also review some of the vocabulary words as well as learn about time using the click on each page which tells how much time has elapsed since launch.

[Maggie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading One Giant Leap, it made me realize the importance of this book. The illustrations show the realism within the book and hints of what will happen throughout the book. I really enjoyed the words of the text within the book because the sentence structure is simple enough for the students to read independently when they are done with school work in class. The students will light up when we discuss that the moral of the story is you can do anything you put your mind to. This will give the students a multitude of careers that they would want to do. As an activity, we can make balloon rockets that allow the students to practice the simulations of gravity and magnets. This will allow the students to feel engaged about the topic of space. They will also use kinesthetic activities to help them understand the concept of gravity vs no gravity.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This juvenile minute-by-minute re-creation of the first flight to the moon culminates with Neil Armstrong’s first step onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Colorful paintings, detailed diagrams, and the actual Apollo 11 moon mission transcript all help to describe the historic mission for the reader. Each page shows a Ground Elapsed Time counter that helps provide a sense of the time needed for the astronauts to travel from the earth to the moon and to return.

Beyond the First Step and a Glossary give readers a sense of what comes next and helps to define terms used in the text.

Highly recommended.

[Shayne Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Giant Leap is a fantastic telling of the Apollo 11 mission. You get insight as to what the conversations were between the astronauts and Houston, as well as detailed procedures on how the spaceship was landed. I really love how the book had a clock on the bottom left through ought the pages to show the time between each event. This book made me appreciate the achievement of landing on the moon, so many things had to go right and so much time was spent making sure everything was perfect. It captures how tense the landing was and gave me a greater appreciation and respect for the brave astronauts who risked their life for exploration and knowledge.

[Pamela Kinslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it made me tear up a little not sure why

[Ice 9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Giant Leap by Mary Ann Fraser is a look into the first moon landing. for my full review go to http://letterstocassiandotherfolks.bl...

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

chock full of illustrations, drawings and detail

[Melissa Housholder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informational about the first moon landing. Lots of pictures that go along with the step by step reenactment that lead to Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon.