Acrophobia

For those of you who did not watch the live broadcast on Discovery Channel (Skywire), Nik Wallenda was the first man to cross the Grand Canyon on a tight rope Sunday evening. My boys were so over the moon (or over the Grand Canyon ha ha) ecstatic to watch this ultimate feat of daredevilry. I am not sure if daredevilry is a real word, but you get the point.

Now I was not all that eager to watch this. First of all heights make me somewhat nauseous (especially those from which falling will cause certain, brain-splattering death). Most importantly, though, this event was being filmed live and Wallenda was not employing any safety net, harness, or whatever else would prevent brain-splattering death. There was a ten second delay, but that would not prevent my children from seeing him fall to certain brain-splattering death. It really did not make me feel any better when before he actually stepped on the rope they showed video footage of Wallenda's great grandfather falling to his death from a tight rope in Puerto Rico.

I did cave, though, and let the boys watch. Of course I had them both sign a contract stating that they would never, ever, ever, under threat of permanent incarceration in their bedroom, attempt to walk a tightrope. This contract also forbid them from walking along the deck rail, the top of the swing set, or any other narrow beam that is more than two feet off of the ground (I have to cover all of the bases with my boys).

Obviously, Nik Wallenda did not plummet 1500 feet into the Colorado River, and now my boys think that he is the most awesomest man to ever live (my six year old's exact words). Personally, I think that he is insane, but I am not a seventh generation tightrope performer like Wallenda. Interesting to note that there was even a made for tv movie titled The Great Wallendas starring Lloyd Bridges and Cathy Rigby.

You are probably starting to wonder what any of this has to do with books or the library in general.  Well, the whole Wallenda traipsing above the Grand Canyon event brought to mind one of the most visually stunning books to ever win the Caldecott Medal. Even if you are like me and get dizzy when someone pushes you too high on a swing, you will be blown away by Mordicai Gerstein's The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. 

The book is a recount of when French aerialist, Phillipe Petit, walked a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. This harrowing feat occurred on August 7, 1974 and if you would like to learn more about it you can watch a portion of a PBS documentary here: Phillippe Petit and the Twin Towers. 

The text of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is actually quite sparse, but lyrical, and the story reads more like a poem. The poetic feel coincides perfectly with Gerstein's breathtaking ink and oil illustrations.

 Two of the pages unfold to offer  panoramic views. One is of Petit from the perspective of a bird flying above him and the second is from the perspective of a city bystander far below.

Yea, I find Gerstein's illustrations to be much less terrifying!

On the final pages, Gerstein imparts the devastating reality that the twin towers are now gone. The text simply reads "Now the towers are gone" and the picture shows the New York skyline with the towers missing. On the final page of the book Gerstein shows the same skyline with the shadows of the twin towers superimposed and explains how their memory will live on. It is a beautiful and sober ending to the book. Since it does not say why the towers are gone, Gerstein's book can also provide an excellent introduction to a discussion concerning the tragic events that occurred on September 11, 2001.  

Whether you are a child or an adult I hope that you will check out this profound and heart-stirring book.