The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

(Caldecott Medal)

Written and Illustrated by: Mordicai Gerstein

This book would be wonderful for second through sixth grade. 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. 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 placement and quality of the oil-and-ink paintings. The picture in the book really pulls the reader in. A small, framed close-up of Petit's foot on the wire yields to two three-page foldouts of the walk. This foldout grab the reader and pulls them into the picture. The story itself is remarkable; however the pictures are what sells the book. The vertiginous views paint the New York skyline in twinkling starlight and at breathtaking sunrise. This unique and inspiring book is at once a portrait of a larger-than-life individual and a memorial to the towers and the lives related with them.

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor)

Written and illustrated by:
Steven Jenkins and Robin Page

This book is appropriate for Kindergarten-Grade 4. Younger students will love the picture size and animals; where as older students will be enthused by the fascinating facts! This is an eye-opening book. Children will learn that lizards can completely break off their tail as a defense and that it will grow back. And, they'll find out that crickets' ears are on their knees. These are just a few of the fascinating facts of nature dangled out front to draw readers into this beautifully illustrated book.

With each flip, five different animals' tails, ears, eyes, or other body parts, done in vibrant cut-paper collage, appear with a simple question ("What do you do with a like this?"). The next spread shows the five creatures in their entirety and offers a brief explanation. For example, "If you're an elephant, you use your nose to give yourself a bath." The back pages offer more information for older or more curious readers. This is a great book for sharing one-on-one or with a group.

This book is very simple, but full of information and that students and teachers can use in the classroom to explore animals or add to a wonderful science lesson. The Illustrations in this book is remarkable and out of the ordinary. They are very eye catching and not what children normally see in their everyday books.

Caldecott Medal

Brief history of the Caldecott Medal

"The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children."

Required Reading will be...

Over the next couple of months I will blog about children books that I am reading. The list of books will include:

1. Five Caldecott Award winning books or Caldecott Honor books published within the last ten years.
2. Two Newbery Award winning books or Newbery Honor books published within the last ten years.
3. One Corretta Scott King Award book from the last ten years.
4. International literature for children that have won awards.
5. Three children's books that have been produced as feature films.
6. A Laurence Yep or Yoshiko Uchida book.
7. A Julius Lester or Jerry Pinkney book.
8. Two recent books that address diversity.