The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

by Mordicai Gerstein

“The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein. An incredible account of Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk in 1974 between the twin towers of World Trade Center.

The World Trade Center towers were the tallest buildings in New York City at the time when they were built. While everyone must have been awestruck by the height of the towers, Philippe Petit was eyeing the space between the towers. To him it presented an incredible opportunity to stretch a rope and walk across! He had danced on a wire between the steeples of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris already. He couldn’t resist this opportunity. 

The book is a lovely tribute to how he planned and did this walk. He spent almost an hour walking, dancing and performing tricks a quarter of a mile in the sky. Unfortunately, like we all know, the towers do not remain any longer. However, their memory as well as the space between them have been celebrated in this beautiful book which is a Caldecott Medal Winner. The book is dedicated to the courage, impeccable act and sense of mischief of Philippe Petit.

The illustrations are gorgeous and the book has two foldout spreads which show the whole view from different perspectives. Glad to have chanced upon this book while browsing online. My seven year old loved the book. Looking forward to watching the movie about this, based on a book written by Philippe Petit himself, with him next. The book is apt for children aged 5+.