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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
CCBC Review:
In 1974, soon after the World Trade Center was completed, a street performer named Philippe Petit startled New Yorkers by walking, running, dancing, and even lying down on a tightrope he had managed to put up between the two towers from their roofs. Mordicai Gerstein tells this stunning true story with lyrical language and breathtaking illustrations. Shifting visual perspectives throughout the book give viewers a dizzying sense of both the height of the towers and the distance between them, while two fold-out pages dramatically extend this sense at the story's climax. The pen-and-ink lines perfectly convey a feeling of walking on air, while the oil paintings that comprise the backdrop create a sense of time and place, from the dark blue, green, and purple hues of the New York City skyline at night to the light grays, blues, and whites of the daytime sky. Every page is ingeniously composed to help tell this unusual story which ends with graceful acknowledgment of loss and enduring legacy. ©2003 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
21st Century
Action/Adventure
Building/Construction
History (Nonfiction)
Risk-taking
Terrorism
U.S. History
World History
Publisher:
Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2003
Pages: 40
ISBN: 0761317910
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 792 Gerstein