Module 3: The Man Who Walked between the Towers

Image via Goodreads.com

Book Summary:

"Once there were two towers side by side. They were each a quarter of a mile high; one thousand three hundred and forty feet. The tallest buildings in New York City." -- p. 1

The Man Who Walked between the Towers is the wonderful story of Philippe Petit and his desire to walk on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center, the tallest buildings in New York in 1974. Petit was an acrobatic aerialist who loved to perform. He could juggle and ride a unicycle, but he loved to walk high above the earth. Before his feat at the WTC, he had walked on the tightrope between the steeples of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Petit knew that if he asked permission to walk over ¼ mile above the city, he would be told no. He took matters into his own hands, and one night he, along with a couple of good friends, managed to secure a cable between the two towers. It took them all night, and early the next morning he walked out across the cable between the towers. Once he was spotted, police officers were waiting for him on the far side, so he took his time and spent over an hour out on the cable, dancing and performing for those far below.

Now that the Twin Towers are gone, this tale is just one of thousands of memories about the WTC.

APA Reference of Book: 

Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Book Press.

Impressions: 

I was not expecting to like this book much. Most of the historical stories I have read in children’s picture books have not been very engaging or attention grabbing. The first few pages of this were not super fantastic, but once the background was set, the story was intriguing. Though it was several decades ago that this event took place, it is amazing that someone would be able to pull off a scenario such as this and do it with such grace and aplomb.  

The level of detail included in this story is perfect for children to understand and see the incredible actions that had to take place to cumulate in the dance in the sky high above the city. Hauling that bundle of cable to the roof of the building up all of those stairs could not have been easy. Petit must have had great friends who valued him and their relationship and were willing to go to a lot of work to help him accomplish his dream.

The illustrations in this book add quite a bit to the feel of the written story. The use of fold-out pages give great depth to the images and provide readers with an added feel for the height at which Petit performed.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal: Kindergarten-Grade 6-As this story opens, French funambulist Philippe Petit is dancing across a tightrope tied between two trees to the delight of the passersby in Lower Manhattan. Gerstein places him in the middle of a balancing act, framed by the two unfinished World Trade Center towers when the idea hits: "He looked not at the towers, but at the space between them and thought, what a wonderful place to stretch a rope-." On August 7, 1974, Petit and three friends, posing as construction workers, began their evening ascent from the elevators to the remaining stairs with a 440-pound cable and equipment, prepared to carry out their clever but dangerous scheme to secure the wire. The pacing of the narrative is as masterful as the placement and quality of the oil-and-ink paintings. The interplay of a single sentence or view with a sequence of thoughts or panels builds to a riveting climax. A small, framed close-up of Petit's foot on the wire yields to two three-page foldouts of the walk. One captures his progress from above, the other from the perspective of a pedestrian. The vertiginous views paint the New York skyline in twinkling starlight and at breathtaking sunrise. Gerstein captures his subject's incredible determination, profound skill, and sheer joy. The final scene depicts transparent, cloud-filled skyscrapers, a man in their midst. With its graceful majesty and mythic overtones, this unique and uplifting book is at once a portrait of a larger-than-life individual and a memorial to the towers and the lives associated with them.

Lukehart, W., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2003, November). The man who walked between the towers [Review of the book The man who walked between the towers by M. Gerstein]. School Library Journal. 49(11), 125. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Walked-Between-Towers/

Library Uses: 

This book is a great example of how all types and age levels of materials can be used to discuss the repercussions of 9/11 and the loss of such a great landmark. While the terrorist attack against the U.S. was a horrible time for the entire country, and even the entire world, this book is a great reminder that we can celebrate the memories of things that are no longer with us. This book can be used in displays and discussions about 9/11, and would be a great book to use with younger elementary aged children to talk about the tragedy.