Customer Reviews

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

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I have heard that very refrain from children time and time again while reading this book. In my Gypsy-like lifestyle of a substitute teacher, I took this book with me, knowing that it would enchant the students I had, no matter where I was. Every class I read this to was spellbound. They would gasp and stare and just could not believe that a REAL person ever did what Phillipe was doing! I had a first grader reach out to touch the sky under Phillipe on one spread, he was so enthralled. In a class of 29 very-hard-to-impress third graders that I was in for 6 weeks, we made a project out of it when they designed their own drawings on what they would walk between, because they were so inspired. During the reading, near the end, on the page that stated quietly "Now the towers are gone," I had very quiet acceptance of the missing towers. The author tells the story with such reverent delight (if it was ever possible to combine the two, Gerstein has) that children naturally fall in and accept the story as is. "The Man Who Walked Between The Towers" has become one of my favorite children's books and has earned a spot in my teaching "bag of tricks." It is very moving and inspiring, and highly deserving of the Caldecott Medal for 2004.

On an otherwise normal day in August 1974, a young Frenchman pulled off what may be the most impressive (not to mention foolhardy) wire-walking exhibition in history. New York City's early commuters looked up to the almost-completed World Trade Center towers to see a man, experienced aerialist Phillippe Petit, walking back and forth across them on a wire. This amazing (albeit highly illegal) achievement has now been immortalized in impressive ink and oil paintings in Mordicai Gerstein in The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Among the artwork you will find the ingenious use of two foldout illustrations, each one establishing an amazing change in perspective of Petit's wire-walking feat and making the drama of the event all that more palpable. Published in 2003 and the recipient of The Caldecott Medal, this book is sure to captivate many young minds with its story and artistry (with a sense of vertigo thrown in absolutely free of charge), and it does stand as something of a touching reminder of the two towers that fell on September 11, 2001 and the spell they cast in their own silent yet mighty fortitude.

Alongside the artwork is the story, economically told, of Petit's dream and the manner in which he made it come true. It describes how he and some friends dressed up as construction workers, hid out on both towers until nightfall, and got the wire-walking cable (which was a mere seven-eighths of an inch wide) in place, after which Petit walked, ran, danced, and even lay down on the outstretched wire over the course of nearly an hour. He was then, of course, arrested but, to my surprise, ordered only to perform his feats for the children of New York City. This is a fabulous story that will literally take your breath away, especially if you are as afraid of heights as I am, but I can't get over just how dangerous and illegal this was (to his friends as well as himself) and can only wonder how Petit got off so easily.

After the events of September 11 there was an odd movement on behalf of the children's book publishers to explain the event in picture book form for the benefit of the little ones. Some of these attempts verged on the callous (paper cut airplanes flying into paper cut buildings) while others were nice thoughts but ultimately raised more questions than they answered ("Fireboat", for example). In the case of Mr. Mordicai Gerstein, however, a happy medium was reached. Here is a book that is all about the Twin Towers, but it does not linger on their fate. A mere two years after the events of 9/11, this book is an eloquent and elegant elegy to a moment when the Twin Towers helped to bring the world a great deal of wonder and joy.

The story is based on the true tale of one Philippe Petit. A French aerialist, Petit was adept at juggling, unicycle riding, and (as it happened) tightrope walking. When construction finished on the Twin Towers in 1974, Petit happened upon the crazy notion of walking between them. The man was no stranger to such a stunt. He had, after all, walked between the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral back in his native France. After asking the Tower's owners for permission, his request was quickly declined. To be allowed would fly in the face of a million safety regulations, after all. The quick thinking Petit reasoned that all that was left was to go ahead and do it anyway. Involving some friends, a construction disguise, and a four hundred and forty pound reel of cable, Petit successfully made it to the roof of one tower in the night and connected the line between the towers with help. Then, as the dawn broke, he did his famous walk across. Once finished, Petit was sentenced by a judge to perform for the children of the park as his penance; a punishment the artist suffered gladly. The book concludes the story on a wistful note. We view the space where once the towers stood and read, "Now the towers are gone". A ghost of the Two appears on the next page and the book says, "But in memory, as if imprinted on the sky, the towers are still there. And part of that memory is the joyful morning, August 7, 1974, when Philippe Petit walked between them in the air".

What Gerstein has done is give us a memory of the Twin Towers that is a good and joyful one. This is no mean task, especially when you consider the horrors that were to follow. I've heard an interesting assortment of objections to the book in my time. Some people argue that no book about the Twin Towers is appropriate for children, whether the book concentrates on 9/11 or not. Such sentiments are silly. You can't ignore the past and, when done tastefully, a book about a significant event can teach more to children than a lesson plan could ever hope to. Other objections say that the book glorifies a silly stunt. Considering the fact that Petit was well trained, took all the necessary precautions, and did what he did for the love of his art, this objection is petty at best. Some say that this is not Gerstein's strongest work and that he should have won the Caldecott for another book instead. I have not read other Gerstein creations, so my experience is (like that of the Caldecott committee) limited to only his most recent creation. But to say this book is not medal worthy is patently ridiculous. Just at glance at the book is enough to tell you that.

Look with me. The text is not only true, it is respectful. What I'm about to write here is second-hand knowledge garnered from a children's literature listserv, so I can't vouch that what I'm about to say is true. However, I believe that before this book was published Philippe Petit knew that it was being written and requested a look at the galleys prior to publication (not a ridiculous desire considering he was the book's star and hero). Such a look was not granted but just after publication Petit was allowed a copy of the story and he greatly approved of it. The only correction he wished to make was the section discussing the thickness of the cable he walked across. I believe he wished it to be changed from five-sixths of an inch to seven-eights of an inch. Future books have been published with this change, so if you happen to have an earlier printing of the story you may have a collector's item on your hands. My point with this story is the pains with which the author has taken to render everything in it factual. On top of that, it's very well written, with the viewer gasping and cheering with every close shave and near accident Petit incurs.

As for the illustrations, they are utterly lovely. From the windswept cover (note the very American bald eagle flying below Petit) to the large pull out sections showing both Petit's walk and the height at which he was walking. If you can read through this book and successfully suppress all shudders then you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. Best of all is how evocative the tale is. The title page displays the towers being built on a snowy day, and there is a repetitive motif of parents holding up babies to look at Petit. This book is filled with delicate wonders and scintillating details on every page.

I can't imagine how anyone could dislike this story, but some do. Just the same, if you want a picture book filled with beauty and breath-taking adventure, with one happy ending and one wistful ending apiece, select Gerstein's award winning creation. It deserves its applause.

I'm a special education resource teacher who works with struggling readers in small groups. I recently read "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" as an instructional read-aloud to one group. They were absolutely fascinated, and these fifth and sixth graders who have reading difficulty were so engrossed in the story of Philippe Petit. They asked wonderful questions and eagerly tore into a post-reading writing assignment. The illustrations in this book, also by the author, are awe-inspiring. I can't recommend this book highly enough; it's fantastic and one of the best additions to my classroom library in a long time.

I remember this incident from my childhood, being dazzled by the photographs in the newspaper. The Caldecott honor is well-earned for Gerstein vividly captures the magic of this incident, both from the vantage-point of the observers on the ground as well as Petit's perspective from the wire. I always worry when a wonderful illustrator is also the author. All too rarely do the talents flow both ways. But Gerstein keeps the prose to a minimum and the words push the action just as effectively as the illustrations. There are two pull out illustrations, which very effectively demonstrate the length of the walk, as well as the height of the towers. Gerstein also gives a nice -- and moving-- tribute to the towers in the closing pages. During my first reading of the book to my sons, the two of them excitedly asked me, "Does he make it??" After the final page, they both yelled, "Read it again!" Better praised an author/illustrator couldn't receive.

This book is perfect for youngsters. Not only are the drawings realistic and dizzying, but the way the author tells the story is straightforward and sensitive, not at all sensationalistic. We don't get the idea that this dangerous, unbelievable stunt was "okay" -- Philippe Petit did get arrested once he came down off the wire, however, we see his point of view, his affinity for the buildings, and how he perfected his skills before attempting this feat. I recall, as a young child, when this story was in the news. And when the towers fell on September 11, 2001, I watched this gentle Frenchman come to tears on the news during an interview, as he remembered walking between them. Very moving and poignant story, one to share with your family to spark a thoughtful discussion.

I bought this for my daughter when she was five because I read it in a bookstore and was moved by the story and the art. I had wondered how to explain September 11 to my daughter, and this book was just the right way to approach the subject. The story about Phillipe is inspiring, even though he is technically breaking the law with his high-wire walk between the towers. He is punished, very appropriately, by the end of the story. The story is really about Phillipe's passion, and it does a wonderful job explaining why he took the risk of walking between these towers. And at the end, the book states "now the towers are gone" and it is a smooth segue into how the towers and so many people in them were destroyed. A solemn tale, but one my daughter wants to read again and again.

I first heard about this book while seeing the author being interviewed on the "Today show" after winning the Caldecott award. The subject matter really peeked my interest both due to the fact that I vaguely remember when Philippe actually did this
and the fact that due to the terriorists the "towers" are gone.
We lost a family member on 9/11 and I really wanted something positive and lovely to remember the towers and those who worked there. The book is lovingly illustrated and beautifully written and will be a classic in my house for my grandchildren to read and be read too.

THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS was written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein and tells the true story of Philippe Petit. Petit was a transplant to New York and was basically a street performer, though in his native home of Paris, France he had been famously known for his skill as a tightrope walker. As the Twin Towers were nearing the end of constrution in the summer of 1974, Petit decided to try the impossible and walk between the towers. So, on the evening of August 7, 1974 Petit and company snuck into the Twin Towers and under the cover of darkness went about setting up a high wire between the buildings. As morning dawned and the people of the city began their busy day, Philippe began walking between the buildings. The people below soon discovered what was going on and the authorities were called in. However, there really wasn't anything to be done until Petit finished with his act. Petit was later sentenced to many hours of community service (I believe he was also fined). However, the day he walked between the towers was a day that people never will forget.

THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS is about a man who did something illegal and in a legalist point of view, it is not a story that is probably appropriate for children. But the story doesn't hold up Philippe Petit as a man who should be honored because of the illegal actions he committed. Instead, it is a story that reminds us that sometimes we have to think outside the box. Sometimes we not only have to dream the impossible dream, but we have to live it as well. The book is also a remarkable tribute to all of those who died on September 11th. The book reminds us that though the towers are no longer there, they still exist in our memories. Life is so short and precious. Make the most of every moment.

The illustrations in the book accompany the text of the story quite well. They aren't Gerstein's best, but they are impressive nevertheless and it's not difficult to see why THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS won a Caldecott Medal. A wonderful book for all ages.

The first time I read this book, I read it with my 10 year old son. We both actually felt the "willies" as we looked at the pictures and imagined how we would feel at that height. We enjoyed reading a true story that seemed almost impossible. How could anyone walk and dance on a 5/8" wire for almost an hour? My husband and I both felt that the drawings of the twin towers were very tastefully done and the fact that Petit did something illegal sparked good conversations with my children.