Module 3: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

 

Summary: Have you ever heard of the events on 9/11?  Were you aware that there was once twin buildings that were the tallest in the world in New York City?  Before the events that occurred on 9/11, these twin towers were recognized and celebrated for various reasons.  One such occasion was when a man walked on a tightrope across the two buildings.  Philippe Petit was a New York street performer who enjoyed his craft and who enjoyed challenges.  When he saw the twin towers, he saw his biggest challenge.  He imagined a rope running from one building to the other and with him walking on it.  Philippe created a plan on how he would do it, the type of cable he would need, the time it would take, and the help he would need.  With precise details, he and his comrades ascended the twin towers and connected the strong cable.  This took many hours to prepare and when it was complete, Philippe was then able to walk across the wire and into history.  If you're not afraid of heights, then this a great book to experience.

Reference: Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. New Milford, CN. Roaring Brook Press.

Impressions:  I got chills and apprehension reading this book.  The depictions of Philippe walking across the Towers gave me anxiety.  All I could think about was the possibility of falling, which he never did.  I thought the illustrations of Mordicai were great in detailing the heights of the walk and the slow ebbing of his footwork across the cable wire.  What the drawings also picked up on was the constant wind that Philippe felt which can be noticed by the angle of his pants. The best part though was when the pages fold out to detail and image the experience.  Yet, the beauty isn't just in the illustrations, but also in the text.  Mordicai tells his story with a poetic rhythm, as to say the feat itself was a form of artistic expression.  I truly enjoyed this book because of the story and because it brought back good memories of the twin towers.

Professional Review:
This eloquently written and craftily illustrated book details for children the true story of famed French aerialist Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. In the bulk of the book, Gerstein captures the awe-striking beauty of the event with lyrical words and simple but dramatic oil-and-pen illustrations. The somewhat awkward mention in the last two pages of the events of September 11, 2001, though, may be a bit abrupt and may confuse children about the relationship between it and the tightrope feat. In those pages, however, Gerstein manages to both address the issue that could not very well be left out of a story about the twin towers and give children a glimpse of the shock and dismay that the world felt at their fall. 2003, Roaring Brook Press, $17.95. Ages 3 to 8.

King, S. (2003). [Review of The wan who walked between the towers]. Children's Literature Comprehensive Database.  Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3574/index.php/jbookdetail/jqbookdetail?page=1&pos=0&isbn=0761328688.

Library Uses:  I would use this story on September 11, which would help segue into the events of 9/11.  The story would help explain the significance of the towers and the beauty they radiated.  Students could help share what they know about the towers and what they've been told.  Students could go home and interview their parents, relatives, and older friends, asking about their experiences.  With the information they discovered, the students could then do a short presentation.