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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
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From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 09:45:07 -0600
Forgive me if you get this message twice. For some reason it didn't go through the first time so I am receding it....
I've been so caught up in this fascinating discussion of Despereaux, that I'm afraid I have been remiss in my duties as moderator. These first two weeks after the ALA award announcements, we have scheduled a discussion of the Caldecott winner and honor books as well.
I don't want the Caldecott books to be overlooked, so we do welcome your comments on them, as well as the 2004 Newbery books.
This year's Caldecott winner, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein, was mentioned last month several times in our discussion of the best books of the year. As I recall, it also won several mock Caldecott discussions, including the one that we held here at the CCBC. Here's our review from CCBC Choices 2004:
"In 1974, soon after the World Trade Center was completed, a street performer named Philippe Petit startled New Yorkers by walking, running, dancing, and even lying down on a tightrope he had managed to put up between the two towers from their roofs. Mordicai Gerstein tells this stunning true story with lyrical language and breathtaking illustrations. Shifting visual perspectives throughout the book give viewers a dizzying sense of both the height of the towers and the distance between them, while two fold-out pages dramatically extend this sense at the story's climax. The pen-and-ink lines perfectly convey a feeling of walking on air, while the oil paintings that comprise the backdrop create a sense of time and place, from the dark blue, green, and purple hues of the New York City skyline at night to the light grays, blues, and whites of the daytime sky. Every page is ingeniously composed to help tell this unusual story, and the ending is graceful both visually and verbally."
Every group of teachers, librarian, and university students we've share this book with over the past few months has been very excited about the book, and I don't think it was a surprise to anyone that it won the Caldecott Medal. What are your own impressions of the book?
KTH
Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608&3721 Fax: 608&2I33 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Wed 28 Jan 2004 09:45:07 AM CST
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 09:45:07 -0600
Forgive me if you get this message twice. For some reason it didn't go through the first time so I am receding it....
I've been so caught up in this fascinating discussion of Despereaux, that I'm afraid I have been remiss in my duties as moderator. These first two weeks after the ALA award announcements, we have scheduled a discussion of the Caldecott winner and honor books as well.
I don't want the Caldecott books to be overlooked, so we do welcome your comments on them, as well as the 2004 Newbery books.
This year's Caldecott winner, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein, was mentioned last month several times in our discussion of the best books of the year. As I recall, it also won several mock Caldecott discussions, including the one that we held here at the CCBC. Here's our review from CCBC Choices 2004:
"In 1974, soon after the World Trade Center was completed, a street performer named Philippe Petit startled New Yorkers by walking, running, dancing, and even lying down on a tightrope he had managed to put up between the two towers from their roofs. Mordicai Gerstein tells this stunning true story with lyrical language and breathtaking illustrations. Shifting visual perspectives throughout the book give viewers a dizzying sense of both the height of the towers and the distance between them, while two fold-out pages dramatically extend this sense at the story's climax. The pen-and-ink lines perfectly convey a feeling of walking on air, while the oil paintings that comprise the backdrop create a sense of time and place, from the dark blue, green, and purple hues of the New York City skyline at night to the light grays, blues, and whites of the daytime sky. Every page is ingeniously composed to help tell this unusual story, and the ending is graceful both visually and verbally."
Every group of teachers, librarian, and university students we've share this book with over the past few months has been very excited about the book, and I don't think it was a surprise to anyone that it won the Caldecott Medal. What are your own impressions of the book?
KTH
Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608&3721 Fax: 608&2I33 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Wed 28 Jan 2004 09:45:07 AM CST
