THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2003. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 0761317910

PLOT SUMMARY
A young Frenchman, Philippe Petit, attempts a daring tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Petit and his friends secretly make their way up to the Twin Towers. With a bow and arrow they string a cable between the two buildings. At the break of dawn, Petit puts on an amazing show by walking and dancing on the wire while bystanders look in awe at his amazing feat. He is eventually arrested and sentenced to perform for children in the parks of New York.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this Caledcott Medal winning book, Gerstein describes an adventurous true story of Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. Throughout the book, he recalls the life of the French aerialist by using clear and concise words along with vivid and colorful illustrations. Gerstein captivates the reader by describing Petit’s bold night climb up to the towers. There are two 2-page foldouts; One which illustrates an aerial view of Petit’s tightrope walk. Looking at this scene, the reader can imagine how it would be like to be hundreds of feet above the ground. The second foldout is a vertical illustration of bystanders looking up in amazement at Petit’s high-wire act. Gerstein has a way of drawing the reader in by his descriptions and illustrations. By the end of the book, the reader will understand and feel Petit’s drive and determination to challenge himself. As the reader flips to the last page, they will come to Gerstein’s final illustration which shows the Twin Towers gone forever. The book gives tribute to the World Trade Center, New York City and the young Frenchman who “walked between the two towers.”

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal
Booklist: “Gerstein’s simple words and dramatic ink-and-oil paintings capture the exhilarating feats, the mischief, and the daring of the astonishing young acrobat”.
School of Library Journal: “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.”

CONNECTIONS
Other children’s books by Mordicai Gerstein:
The Old Country. ISBN 0307245427
The Mountains of Tibet. ISBN 0064432114
The White Ram. ISBN 0823418978
Sholom’s Treasure. ISBN 0374380554
A collection of children’s writings and art projects about the events of 9/11 is a book called Messages to Ground Zero: Children Respond to September 11, 2001. This book is dedicated to those that lost their lives and honors the city’s heroes of the September 11th tragedy.
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2003. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 0761317910