First Man in Space (1961)

Hello there. My name is Yuri Gagarin. When I was a boy, I loved to watch the birds fly high in the sky. I dreamed that one day, I could fly even higher than them. I became a pilot and flew airplanes, soaring through the clouds. But I wanted to go higher still, all the way to the stars. One day, I was chosen for a very special trip, a trip into space. I was so excited. I put on my puffy orange space suit to keep me safe and warm. Then I put on my big, round helmet with a window to see through. I felt like a brave explorer, ready for the biggest adventure ever.

The big day was April 12th, 1961. I climbed into my rocket ship, which was called Vostok 1. It was very tall. I waved goodbye and got ready. I could hear the big countdown outside. Five... four... three... two... one... WHOOSH. The rocket shook and rumbled, and then it pushed me up, up, up into the sky. Faster and faster we went, past the clouds, until everything was dark and sparkly with stars. Suddenly, the rumbling stopped, and I was floating. I felt as light as a feather. I looked out my little window and saw something amazing. It was our home, the Earth. It looked like a beautiful, spinning marble, all blue and white. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen.

After flying all the way around our world, it was time to come home. My little space capsule zoomed back toward the ground. Bump. I landed safely in a big, green field. The door opened, and I saw so many happy, friendly faces waiting for me. Everyone cheered. They called me a hero for being the first person to travel to space. I was so happy to be home and share my story. I had many more adventures, and then when I was all grown up, my time on Earth was over. But my big trip showed everyone that if you dream big and work hard, you can reach for the stars, too.