The Man Who Walked Between The Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gerstein, Moridcai.2003. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. Square Fish. ISBN 031236878X

2.    PLOT SUMMARY
In 1974, as the World Trade Centers in New York City were being completed, French street performer, Phillippe Petit, came up with the idea to stretch a cable from each tower and walk between them. While still under construction, Petit and some friends snuck into the towers dressed as construction workers and waited until everyone was gone. With friends’ assistance on the opposite tower, they were able to connect the cable from one tower to the other. In the early morning hours of August 7, 1974, Petit spent almost an hour performing on his tightrope a quarter of a mile up from the ground. Once Petit is ready to venture off this tightrope, he is taken into police custody and is sentenced to performing in the park for the children of New York. The book comes to a close with a gut wrenching sentence, “The towers are now gone,” accompanied with a picture of today’s New York skyline without the towers, yet the story ends on a positive note that the memories of Petite’s dangerous feat and the reminder that the twin towers will always be imprinted in our memories.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a story of two extreme events linked by the same historical pair of buildings, Petits’ walk on a cable between the towers and the events of September 11, 2001. Extreme can also be used to describe the poetic story and illustrations. The artwork is amazing, and this is seen in the way the book is designed. The accompanying foldout pages give readers a visual clue as to the impressive size of the buildings and the extraordinary tightrope walk.

The text is solid and holds the readers interest, yet I find the beauty of the story in the illustrations. Created in oil and ink, the author and illustrator Mordecai Gerstein creates a feeling of the breadth and depth of the tightrope walkers’ venture. Using visual cues, the policeman’s hat falling, the people gathered at the base and the birds flying about, Gerstein was able to pass on the grand scale of this performance. Along with the creation of panoramic views, you feel as if you are walking alongside Petit.

4.    REVIEW EXCERPTS
Caldecott Award Winner
ALA Notable Children's Book
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Picture Book

"Gorgeous oil-and-ink paintings capture the aerialist's spirited feat and breathtaking perspectives high above Manhattan harbor."
--  School Library Journal

"Gerstein's ink and oil paintings of that "joyful morning" aren't for anyone with a fear of heights; the perspectives are dizzying enough to make the strongest stomach lurch."
-- Elizabeth Ward, Washington Post

"Here's a joyful true story of the World Trade Center from a time of innocence before 9/11."
-- Hazel Rochman, Booklist

5.    CONNECTIONS
This book would be great to add to a collection of performing arts genre.

The book could be used in connection with 9/11 events to give perspective to the buildings and to its history other than the attacks.

The book could be used in a math class.  The book references the width of the cable, the height of the buildings and the length of cable.

For fun, students could place the same width of rope on the ground and practice tightrope walking.

The book could be used in an art class as examples of perspective drawing.

Ethics can be discussed after reading the book.  Petit was breaking the law to complete his daredevil plan. Discuss with students the repercussions of Phillippe’s walks.