One Giant Leap

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Fraser ( On Top of the World ; Ten Mile Day ) offers a concise liftoff-to-splashdown chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 mission, including, of course, Neil Armstrong's ``giant leap for mankind.'' Her fast-paced account opens on July 16, 1969, with a digital clock announcing ground elapsed time (the time from launch) of minus two hours, 28 minutes and 11 seconds (this figure is updated on each spread). At Florida's Cape Kennedy, Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins enter the spacecraft which, along with the Saturn V rocket on which it perches, ``had taken more than 300,000 people eight years to plan, test, and build.'' As Fraser details the astronauts' manifold maneuvers, brief quotes from NASA's air-to-ground voice transcripts give her narrative a thrilling immediacy--especially when recounting such hair-raising moments as Armstrong's frantic search for a landing site for the Eagle lunar module, which had only 30 seconds' worth of fuel remaining. Similarly, Fraser supplements her realistic paintings with precise diagrams of the various components of the spacecraft and rockets, the space suit worn by the mission's participants and Apollo 11's flight pattern. Ages 8-12. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Moments of what PW called "thrilling immediacy" electrify this concise liftoff-to-splashdown account of the historic Apollo 11 mission. Ages 8-12. (May)

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

Exactly 109 hours, 24 minutes, and 15 seconds after he left Earth, Neil Armstrong stood on the moon. Ms. Fraser's art provides a dramatic backdrop to her highlights of the Apollo 11 mission from 2:28:11 hours before its July 16, 1969 launch, to splashdown, 195:17:52 hours later.

Children's Literature - Cheryl Peterson

One of the most exciting historic events of the twentieth century is re-created in this informative book. Written in simplified text, and illustrated with detailed color paintings, the launch of the Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 is chronicled step-by-step with "ground elapsed time" recorded on each page. A detailed drawing of the Apollo 11/Saturn V rocket makes it easy to see the various stages as they occur during the mission. A brief history of the "space race" between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Challenger space shuttle tragedy, and the current status of space exploration makes this a valuable, up-to-date resource for any home or school library. 1999 (orig.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Wide use of quotes from mission control and the Apollo 11 transmissions give readers a feeling of immediacy, even though the event is ancient history to the intended age group. The main text begins with blast-off and ends with Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon. There is a two-page follow-up in smaller print telling about international cooperation in space exploration today. Full-color paintings spread over the double-page spreads, with the text printed on the uncluttered area. Diagrams of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo 11 spacecraft are on the front endpapers and a glossary and diagrams of the spaceship's path and a spacesuit are on the back. This lively account of the first lunar landing will be a welcome addition to most collections.-Margaret M. Hagel, Norfolk Public Library System, VA

Hazel Rochman

ger for reading aloud. Based on photographs and transcripts of the first moon landing in 1969, this fact-filled, illustrated text gives a step-by-step account of the "Apollo II" moon mission. From blast-off to moon landing and return to earth, Fraser focuses on the three astronauts in the spacecraft, also describing what was happening at mission control. Detailed, realistic double-page paintings show people and machines, close-up and in space. The front matter and endpapers are packed with information, including carefully labeled diagrams of the "Apollo II" spacecraft, the "Saturn V" rocket, and the flight profile. Fraser discusses the controversy, then and now, about spending so much on space exploration. In an afterword and throughout the book, she places the moon landing in a wider world context of science and discovery.