One Giant Leap

My Thoughts:

One Giant Leap is the story of the first man to step on the moon. The text is written as if it is actually happening, in present tense, and adds a sense of immediacy to the story. Or it did for me.

The paintings were rich and as realistic as a photograph. I loved the beauty of the words and the pictures in this book.

The children liked the cover of the book a lot. They didn't really like a lot of the other pictures. The story seemed to move too slowly for them.

A Sample:

“Armstrong knows that back on Earth,
Hundreds of millions of people are watching.
He jumps to the landing leg's round footpad.
He holds on. He pauses. He points his foot and steps off.
The surface is as fine as powdered charcoal.
The treads of his boot leave a perfectly crisp print in the dust.
On the weatherless moon, it will last for millions of years.”

Children's Comments:
Colt, 6, said, “I liked when they put the flag in the moon.”
Sammy, 6, said, “I liked when the rocket was floating down into the water.”
Juan Pablo, 7, said, “I liked where they were worried if the rocket ship wouldn't work.”

Children's Ratings: 5, 1, 5, 5, 5, 1, 1, 5, 3, 3, 5, 3, 5, 4, 1, 5