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One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong
As a young boy, Neil Armstrong had a recurring dream in which he held his breath and floated high above the people, houses, and cars. He spent his free time reading stacks of flying magazines, building model airplanes, and staring through the homemade telescope mounted on the roof of his neighbor's garage. As a teenager, Neil became obsessed with the idea of flight, working odd jobs to pay for flying lessons at a nearby airport. He earned his student pilot's license on his sixteenth birthday. But who was to know that this shy boy, who also loved books and music, would become the first person to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969. Here is the inspiring story of one boy's dream - a dream of flying that landed him more than 200,000 miles away in space, gazing upon the awesome sight of a tiny earth hanging suspended in a perfectly black sky. On the thirtieth anniversary of the moon landing, Don Brown's expressive story reveals the achievement of this American legend, Neil Armstrong, re
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
7 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Don Brown
48 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
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June 17, 2012This book is great for boys and and girls starting from the age of five and up It is easy to read, so as long as the readers are at least in kindergarten they should have no problem reading it. The book would be a little boring for children around 4th or 5th grade because of how easy the text is. This is a fascinating book about Neil Armstrong and how he became an astronaut. The pictures in the book are very colorful and full of adventure as Neil Armstong discovers his love of flying. This book is fast-paced and would be great for reluctant readers, because it will grab their attention. Reader's will want to know what Neil Armstrong does next after he learns that he loves planes. This inspiring story came from the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award list for recommended books in 2010.
February 8, 2016
Chronicles Neil Armstrong's fascination with planes and flying from a young age. It describes his dream to fly and the steps he took to reach his goal. My students found it fascinating and funny that he got his student pilot's license before he was old enough to drive a car.
I appreciate that this shows his hard work to reach his goals. It shows that he had challenges but worked to overcome them.
I didn't love the illustrations, but I thought the text was informative and interesting. My 3rd grade students liked it as well.
I appreciate that this shows his hard work to reach his goals. It shows that he had challenges but worked to overcome them.
I didn't love the illustrations, but I thought the text was informative and interesting. My 3rd grade students liked it as well.
November 20, 2007
Initally, I LOVED this book, however after further research I learned that the information in the book was incorrect in many aspects.
November 22, 2007
Initially, I hated this book. Then, I found out that most of the information was incorrect...I loved it.
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December 20, 2020Book Title: One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong
Author: Don Brown
Reading Level: M
Book Level: 2nd-3rd grade
Summary: : On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and became a hero to millions citizens globally. He ignited a spark as a young boy surrounding the fascination of flying. The Author Don Brown does a wonderful job giving the readers a timeline of Neil's childhood years and turning his dreams into reality of one day becoming the first man to walk on the moon!
Mentor text writing traits:
organization trait- This story gives readers a clear timeline in a fun, children's picture-book way! It starts off with his childhood and growing his love and passion for fly into him becoming an astronaut as a young adult to then being the first man to walk on the moon!
I would use this story with my students during a solar system unit for science! It is an awesome story that will get students to become inspired and find passion, meaning and how to achieve goals through what hobbies they love.
Author: Don Brown
Reading Level: M
Book Level: 2nd-3rd grade
Summary: : On July 20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and became a hero to millions citizens globally. He ignited a spark as a young boy surrounding the fascination of flying. The Author Don Brown does a wonderful job giving the readers a timeline of Neil's childhood years and turning his dreams into reality of one day becoming the first man to walk on the moon!
Mentor text writing traits:
organization trait- This story gives readers a clear timeline in a fun, children's picture-book way! It starts off with his childhood and growing his love and passion for fly into him becoming an astronaut as a young adult to then being the first man to walk on the moon!
I would use this story with my students during a solar system unit for science! It is an awesome story that will get students to become inspired and find passion, meaning and how to achieve goals through what hobbies they love.
June 27, 2017
A great book about the life of Neil Armstrong. We learn that Armstrong wanted to fly airplanes before he wanted to become an astronaut. On one flight with his father early in his life, the interior of the passenger plane was 12 wicker seats and engines that constantly sputters. As Neil continued to grow, so did his desire to fly. He earned his student pilot license by his 16 birthday and from there, he continued to grow.
4 stars because the illustrations were not bad, they didn't inspire awe like they should. The book doesn't focus on the accomplishments of Armstrong, relegating them to a page. However, by doing this, we understand the person a little more, and can see just how much change happens in the course of a lifetime.
4 stars because the illustrations were not bad, they didn't inspire awe like they should. The book doesn't focus on the accomplishments of Armstrong, relegating them to a page. However, by doing this, we understand the person a little more, and can see just how much change happens in the course of a lifetime.
December 10, 2019
This is a cute book about Neil Armstrong. The story starts out when Neil was very young and went to an air show with his father. It tells about how Neil fell in love with airplanes. He worked hard to learn to drive them because he was so passionate about planes.
Because he became a great pilot, he became an astronaut and piloted the Saturn Rocket and become the first man on the moon.
My kids were into this book and the illustration is simple and cute. I would recommend for children learning about space travel.
Because he became a great pilot, he became an astronaut and piloted the Saturn Rocket and become the first man on the moon.
My kids were into this book and the illustration is simple and cute. I would recommend for children learning about space travel.
May 21, 2017
Don Brown is a great storyteller and artist. I thought this story could have used a further reading section for young researchers at the end but otherwise this was a great read.
November 1, 2018
Lizzie gave this one its high rating. Fun background to learn about Neil Armstrong and how a childhood fascination with airplanes went on to grow and shape his future as an astronaut.
June 8, 2021
We absolutely loved this one. It brought tears to my eyes, as the mother of a space lover! We had fun watching the footage of the space walk right after on YouTube.
October 8, 2019
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," are the words of Neil Armstrong as he stepped on the moon. Armstrong had prepared all his life for the momentous moment. As a child, he was transfixed by his first plane ride and read stacks of travel magazines. He earned his student pilots license at age sixteen. He also held part-time jobs to support his flying interest. Neil continued flying throughout the Korean War. Eventually, he became astronaut. This children's book, written and illustrated by Don Brown reminds us that this American hero was once a child with big dreams and aspirations.
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December 2, 2015Title: One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong
Author/Illustrator: Don Brown
Genre: Biography (K-2)
Theme(s): History, astronomy, moon-landing, Neil Armstrong
Opening line/sentence: “In 1932, two-year-old Neil Armstrong watched airplanes race.”
Brief Book Summary: This biography begins telling the story of Neil, a young boy and his love of airplanes. When he begins having reoccurring dreams about floating, he does not think much of it, but he certainly never thought it would become real. Years down the line however, this boy works to become a pilot and within a few more, he becomes one of the first men on the moon!
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Karen Porter (Children's Literature)
This delightful nonfiction picture book follows Neil's life from his first exposure to airplanes at age two through his historic flight to the moon. Neil is described as a shy child who dreamt of hovering off the ground and spent his spare time earning money for flying lessons and studying the stars. After a quick reference to his military career, the book focuses on a detailed account of the journey to the moon. In a time when educators are seeking good nonfiction titles, this book will be valued for its accessibility to young readers and its inclusion of factual information found most often in textbooks.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Fans of Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure may wish that Brown had likewise dedicated this picture book to the singular ride that made history for his subject. Instead, the author's informal chronicle of astronaut Armstrong's life focuses primarily on his childhood, then skips ahead to his milestone flight in the final spreads. The book opens in 1932, when two-year-old Neil, perched on his father's shoulders, watches airplanes race. Readers next see him four years later, riding in a plane for the first time, an experience that inspires a "magical dream" in which he "held his breath and hovered above the ground." Young Neil makes model airplanes, reads Air Travel magazine, peers at the moon through a neighbor's telescope and eventually begins flying lessons. But Armstrong's training to become an astronaut and his career leading up to the 1969 flight to the moon get less emphasis. And the conclusion is a bit ethereal (after he stepped onto the moon, he "became a hero to millions of people. But inside him was the memory of an ordinary boy.... A boy who loved books and music....A boy who dreamed of hanging in the air suspended only by a trapped breath." Similarly sketchy, Brown's airy, pen-and-ink and watercolor art does little to get this spotty biography off the ground.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The two professional above are complete opposites in their evaluations. Porter praises this story for being so accessible to young children, while Weekly claims it is not a great book. Both reviews point out the major plot holes that are left out of Armstrong’s life but the Weekly review criticizes the whole book; content, conclusion, and even the artwork.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book’s illustrations are what carries it. The watercolor and pen artwork is simplistic yet detailed and the people are drawn with “cute” faces that look like a child could have drawn them. Text is easy to read with its small paragraphs and occasional short phrases, however the storyline certainly has its plotlines.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book can be used in the classroom to teach about the first man on the moon. It can also be used as a biography for a biography project. They can either make a poster or a graphic organizer about Neil Armstrong or whomever they choose.
Author/Illustrator: Don Brown
Genre: Biography (K-2)
Theme(s): History, astronomy, moon-landing, Neil Armstrong
Opening line/sentence: “In 1932, two-year-old Neil Armstrong watched airplanes race.”
Brief Book Summary: This biography begins telling the story of Neil, a young boy and his love of airplanes. When he begins having reoccurring dreams about floating, he does not think much of it, but he certainly never thought it would become real. Years down the line however, this boy works to become a pilot and within a few more, he becomes one of the first men on the moon!
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Karen Porter (Children's Literature)
This delightful nonfiction picture book follows Neil's life from his first exposure to airplanes at age two through his historic flight to the moon. Neil is described as a shy child who dreamt of hovering off the ground and spent his spare time earning money for flying lessons and studying the stars. After a quick reference to his military career, the book focuses on a detailed account of the journey to the moon. In a time when educators are seeking good nonfiction titles, this book will be valued for its accessibility to young readers and its inclusion of factual information found most often in textbooks.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Fans of Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure may wish that Brown had likewise dedicated this picture book to the singular ride that made history for his subject. Instead, the author's informal chronicle of astronaut Armstrong's life focuses primarily on his childhood, then skips ahead to his milestone flight in the final spreads. The book opens in 1932, when two-year-old Neil, perched on his father's shoulders, watches airplanes race. Readers next see him four years later, riding in a plane for the first time, an experience that inspires a "magical dream" in which he "held his breath and hovered above the ground." Young Neil makes model airplanes, reads Air Travel magazine, peers at the moon through a neighbor's telescope and eventually begins flying lessons. But Armstrong's training to become an astronaut and his career leading up to the 1969 flight to the moon get less emphasis. And the conclusion is a bit ethereal (after he stepped onto the moon, he "became a hero to millions of people. But inside him was the memory of an ordinary boy.... A boy who loved books and music....A boy who dreamed of hanging in the air suspended only by a trapped breath." Similarly sketchy, Brown's airy, pen-and-ink and watercolor art does little to get this spotty biography off the ground.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The two professional above are complete opposites in their evaluations. Porter praises this story for being so accessible to young children, while Weekly claims it is not a great book. Both reviews point out the major plot holes that are left out of Armstrong’s life but the Weekly review criticizes the whole book; content, conclusion, and even the artwork.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book’s illustrations are what carries it. The watercolor and pen artwork is simplistic yet detailed and the people are drawn with “cute” faces that look like a child could have drawn them. Text is easy to read with its small paragraphs and occasional short phrases, however the storyline certainly has its plotlines.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book can be used in the classroom to teach about the first man on the moon. It can also be used as a biography for a biography project. They can either make a poster or a graphic organizer about Neil Armstrong or whomever they choose.
March 3, 2017
we loved this book. neil armstrong, Aldrin and Collins are some big heroes in our home. the illustrations weren't my most favorite, but the writing was easy and understandable for my small children. the biography was well done and easily relatable. showing Armstrong as a regular young boy with a great interest and through hard work was able to achieve something wonderful-miraculous. something attainable by all if you work hard. i did see a few reviews spoke negative about a lot of the information being incorrect, so I'm interested to look into that...
January 10, 2014
My immediate reaction when I read through this book was that it must have been the inspiration for the more recent, and now probably more popular, Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca. I'm not saying that because one copies the other and by the way they are very different books, but there are some striking similarities. For one, I wouldn't necessarily have thought that watercolor was the best medium to convey the starkness and intensity of space and when I first read Moonshot I was actually a bit surprised by this choice in a first time. It works great however. The style of the illustrations in Moonshot is a bit more modern and provides more technical details than the pictures of One Giant Leap. Many of the pictures in Giant Leap also carry this blue hue throughout the book, which gives the book a certain coherence and dreamy quality. But, back to the similarities: It's a bit curious that Floca doesn't credit Don Brown at all (or any other children's book on the subject, for that matter) although in his preface he references a multitude of books and films he used in his research. This said, it's quite possible of course that he took no influence from it. And the books are quite different: Moonshot focuses on the flight of Appolo 11 from start to finish, whereas One Giant Leap is about the boy Neil who dreams of flying and one day ends up going out in space. However, both books are tied together with an opening image of a father and child looking up into the sky and a closing image of a boy running around playing with an aircraft, the moon in the background. Coincidence? Either way, both books are great. Moonshot is full of fascinating detail and imagery, but this book is an inspirational story of the little boy who followed his dream to become an astronaut. I could tell that my five year old was making mental notes of some of the steps on the way. For instance he asked to go back to the page that shows Neil in different guises through his training, iterating: Student pilot, Navy pilot, test pilot, astronaut. Very inspiring indeed!
July 19, 2013
Audience: Primary
Genre: Biography, Informational
Fiction Twin-Text: Space Boy by Leo Landry
One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong is about the life and times of Neil Armstrong. The story gives details of where Armstrong lived, and how his interests from an early age were flight and planes. He loved to watch planes, make planes, and eventually fly planes which led to his famous moon landing as an astronaut. I chose Space Boy by Leo Landry as the twin-text for this book because it is a fun read that would gain excitement from students to start a lesson on space and astronauts, that would eventually lead to the reading of One Giant Leap. Space Boy is about Nicholas who is tired of the noisy world so he decides to travel to space to have a picnic, because space is nice and noise free.
Genre: Biography, Informational
Fiction Twin-Text: Space Boy by Leo Landry
One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong is about the life and times of Neil Armstrong. The story gives details of where Armstrong lived, and how his interests from an early age were flight and planes. He loved to watch planes, make planes, and eventually fly planes which led to his famous moon landing as an astronaut. I chose Space Boy by Leo Landry as the twin-text for this book because it is a fun read that would gain excitement from students to start a lesson on space and astronauts, that would eventually lead to the reading of One Giant Leap. Space Boy is about Nicholas who is tired of the noisy world so he decides to travel to space to have a picnic, because space is nice and noise free.
December 8, 2016
1. None
2. First grade through second grade
3. A biography of the life of Neil Armstrong, ending at his historic walk on the moon. The book tells the story of his interest in flying from a young age, and how he became a pilot. He then, of course, became an astronaut, and the first man to walk on the moon.
4. Any child who’s interested in space and astronauts (which, let’s face it, is all of them) will love this look at Neil Armstrong which focuses mostly on his early life before fast-forwarding to his trip to the moon. The book itself is rather simplistic compared to some, but it is a children’s book. The illustrations are enjoyable, as well.
5. A unit on space could only be helped by the inclusion of this book. It of course could also be used for a unit on biographies.
2. First grade through second grade
3. A biography of the life of Neil Armstrong, ending at his historic walk on the moon. The book tells the story of his interest in flying from a young age, and how he became a pilot. He then, of course, became an astronaut, and the first man to walk on the moon.
4. Any child who’s interested in space and astronauts (which, let’s face it, is all of them) will love this look at Neil Armstrong which focuses mostly on his early life before fast-forwarding to his trip to the moon. The book itself is rather simplistic compared to some, but it is a children’s book. The illustrations are enjoyable, as well.
5. A unit on space could only be helped by the inclusion of this book. It of course could also be used for a unit on biographies.
May 5, 2015
I enjoyed this story because it details the events of Neil's life greatly preceding his trip to the moon. It looks at Neil when he was a child, which children will be able to relate to more than Neil as an adult. I would definitely use this book in my classroom as part of a unit on outer space. Once the children understand what outer space or the moon is, I would introduce astronauts using this book. This book includes several statistics such as the distance between the earth and the moon and it also specifies dates important to the journey. These will allow the children to begin to develop a concept of the size of the galaxy as well as to develop a connection with the past.
July 20, 2010
Picture book choice
I like this book because it's not just about the moon landing, but about a regular boy's dream, and the author brings the reader back to this as it's thinking point at the end. Being this is the point, we get a good summary of Neil Armstrong's young life and moon landing without all the what it takes to be an astronaut information. I would like to see this with more dramatic illustrations rather than the pale watercolors used. It's probably better for young independent readers than for a read aloud.
I like this book because it's not just about the moon landing, but about a regular boy's dream, and the author brings the reader back to this as it's thinking point at the end. Being this is the point, we get a good summary of Neil Armstrong's young life and moon landing without all the what it takes to be an astronaut information. I would like to see this with more dramatic illustrations rather than the pale watercolors used. It's probably better for young independent readers than for a read aloud.
April 16, 2015
I really liked reading about this book about Neil Armstrong. The book used simple language but still covered Neil's increasing interest in planes and space from a young age. I think it would be a great book to read to elementary aged children to bring their attention to notable people or to space travel. I have to assume that the author of this book got their facts right because there is no background about the author or resource to find more information. I think this book is inspiring and encourages children to be passionate about what they are interested in.
February 5, 2011
i think this is a really good, small , lots of information about neil armstrong book.
this is a book about neil armstrong and about his life and how he got the passion of being a airplane driver and then an astronaut.
i recommend this to people who are wanting to do some of their biographies in their 13 book orange sheet
this is a book about neil armstrong and about his life and how he got the passion of being a airplane driver and then an astronaut.
i recommend this to people who are wanting to do some of their biographies in their 13 book orange sheet
April 4, 2017
This is a great picture book biography of Neil Armstrong. It's really well done. Very approachable and easy to understand. It makes Neil Armstrong into a very easily identifiable character with a spirit for adventure that children will like. Don Brown is top of the line in the children's biography market.
January 19, 2009
I wish there were more books like this: what a curious child did with his interests, and it turned into something amazing.
April 15, 2013
This book is a great science book and covers the life of Neil Armstrong. This would be a great addition to a classroom library. It is a bit more kid friendly than some informational books.
September 16, 2015
It was an ok book
October 15, 2015
My reading teacher read this to the hoold class and i really enjoyed it . After she was done she talked about how her and her family saw Neil Armstrong go up to the moon on T.V
September 16, 2015
I don't know. I am really old, like, it hurts.
September 16, 2015
Ehhh. It was good but not great!
September 16, 2015
Non fiction
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September 8, 2021
A very good picture book Neil Armstrong’s life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews