Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
A Deaf story, by a deaf author, illustrated by a deaf artist. I’m calling it the Deaf Trifecta!
This is the true story of eleven deaf men who helped NASA and America win the space race.
What did it take to put a man in space? To land him safely on the moon? It took years of research—and the help of eleven deaf men! What did they have that hearing researchers at NASA didn’t? Long before Artemis went to space, NASA needed to know how space travel would affect astronauts.
Take a look inside one part of the journey to the moon, and meet the Gallaudet Eleven: the brave volunteers who helped make it possible. These hidden figures played an important role in NASA’s research, and it was their shared disability that made them so vital to the plan: their vestibular systems, a part of the inner ear, did not work, meaning they did not get motion sick. The Gallaudet Eleven were the perfect volunteers for NASA’s spinning, whirling tests to learn the effects of space travel on the human body.
Dedicated to Barry Gulak, my friend and national hero. And to all the bioastronauts who, thanks to their unique ability, served their country proudly.
Illustrated by: Kristina Gehrmann
Book Trailer (turn on your sound)
A fun cover reveal video. Be sure to turn on your sound!
Praise for The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA’s Deaf Bioastronauts
Cerra’s account of the involvement of eleven deaf men in NASA research in the Space Race is captivating, surprising, and moving; Gehrmann’s digital illustrations share these traits.
. . . in part the appeal of the story comes through the men’s good-humored willingness, their appreciation that their deafness brought them this “superpower” (even in the context of lives spent negotiating “a world not built for” them). Cerra stresses how much it meant to them to be able to serve their country in research that ultimately led to the moon landing. But there’s a poignancy here, too, conveyed in telling detail: “Some of the bioastronauts hoped to meet the famous astronauts, but they never mingled with the deaf men.” Appended with an author’s note and “more fascinating facts.” ~ Horn Book Review
“Upbeat, accessible text, interspersed with quotes from Gallaudet Eleven members, underscores how—as participant Barron Gulak describes—these men made “a big leap for the disabled world” as well as space travel. Gehrmann’s illustrations are clear and expressive; a spread provides participants’ headshots and career details.
A welcome acknowledgment of unsung figures.” (note from Barron Gulak, author’s note, photograph, additional facts) (Informational picture book. 6-8) ~ Kirkus Reviews
“Placing particular emphasis on the unique strengths of others and that innovation thrives when all talents are valued, this title includes the details of how these individuals used their disability as an advantage.” ~ School Library Journal
“The point that the participants’ disability gave them the ‘right stuff’ to make significant contributions to the great enterprise is firmly, and justly, made.” ~ Booklist