Man Who Walked Between the Towers, The
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Dancing calliope music supplements this 2004 Caldecott winner, written, illustrated, and .narrated by Gerstein. On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit, a French trapeze artist and street performer, walked a tightrope between the World Trade Towers because "he knew he had to do it!" Gerstein's simple and dramatic reading helps create a feeling of joyfulness and mounting suspense as the crowd watches' Petit move across the wire. The many sounds of the city occur sporadically, as police shout through bullhorns, 'car horns honk, and the watching crowd "oohs" and "aahs," The zing of a missed arrow slithering down almost out of reach and me click of locking handcuffs add to the tension. Mewling cries of seagulls echo Petit's sense of freedom and serenity as he performs at the top of the world. An impressive read-along.

"In 1974, Philippe Petit, a French aerialist and street performer, disguised himself as a construction worker and shot a strong wire from one tower of the World Trade Center to the other. In a death-defying dance, Petit crossed the 140 feet between the towers, a quarter of a mile above New York City. Petit was arrested and sentenced to perform for children in the parks. Gerstein's reading is congenial and disarming. His images are spare yet lyrical, magical and poetic; his performance, completely engaging. His understated delivery captures Petit's playful nature, his delight in imagining himself in the space between the towers, and his satisfaction at achieving the impossible. The closing somber words, "Now the towers are gone," create an indelible memory, part joy, part grief."