The Man Who Walked Between The Towers

It's Book Talk Tuesday and I'm linking up with Deanna Jump over at Mrs. Jump's Class! Check out her fabulous linky party!

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite picture books - The Man Who Walked Between The Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. It's quite possibly one of the most gorgeous books I've ever seen!

This is a biography of sorts, as it tells the story of Philipe Petit's quest to walk between the Twin Towers in New York City in 1974.

Philippe Petit was a street performer. He loved to entertain the people of New York City. He was also a dreamer.

He watched as the Twin Towers were being constructed and dreamed of walking between them on his tight rope. Petit, no stranger to adventure, had once before walked across the steeples of Notre Dame in his hometown of Paris, France.

Petit was up for the challenge and plotted how to make his dream come true. He recruited some friends and disguised himself as a construction worker. One night, in 1974, Petit and his friends worked through the night to secure his tight rope.

The next morning, he walked between the towers. He frolicked along the tight rope. He danced. He laid down for a rest. He made his dream come true.

The people watched in awe.

The cops watched in disdain!

When Philippe was finished with his adventure, he was apprehended by the NYPD. The judge sentenced him to community service - entertaining children in the park! He didn't mind.

This story is so beautiful. It's a great non-fiction text to share with your students about making dreams come true. It's also a great history lesson about the Twin Towers. Although, the towers are now gone they live on in our memories, such as the author's memory of Philippe Petit.

Thanks for stopping by the blog! Have a wonderful Tuesday!