The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Review of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers From School Library Journal

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.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

I had never heard such a story and at first thought it must be a tall tale! By the end of the book I was shocked to know it was actually accomplished! For hour we "walked between towers" on tape lines in the basement. Days later the impact this book had was evident when my oldest walked a balance beam on the playground and shouted, "Look mom I am Philippe!" The story is only supported by the artwork! Each page has a different quality that adds depth to the story. In one the facial expression help to tell it. In other sit is the multiple perspectives from earth or sky that show how daring a feat this was! An amazing book to add to an elementary library collection!