Friday, February 27, 2009

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers


Mordicai Gerstein wrote and illustrated this story that is a tribute to a daring man and the towers. As I read the account of Philippe Petit's plan and follow-through of this exciting and dangerous act I felt a little nervous. Heights have that effect on me. Petit was a quarter of a mile high when he completed the walk from tower to tower on the morning of August 7, 1974. He stayed on the wire for over an hour and even lay down to rest for a short time. Several pages of the artwork shows the beautiful and breathtaking view from the top of the towers. One page depicts his walk from steeple to steeple of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with great detail. Two other pages open up and fold out into a four page spread. This must have been a pretty exciting scene to behold for onlookers below on the streets of New York City. As I read this book I tried to imagine what I was doing back in 1974. I believe that Philippe Petit's year may have been a bit more exciting than mine!

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