The Man Who Walked Between Two Towers by Marigny Dupuy

 Summary:

The Man Who Walked Between Two Towers is written and illustrated Mordecai Gerstein.  It was his illustrations that earned the book a 2004 Caldecott Medal.  The book is based on the life of Phillippe Petit who is a French street performer, who specializes in tight rope walking, living in 1974 New York City.  Petit has a dream to walk on a tight rope between the two towers of the World Trade Center.  Since the towers were under construction, Petit and a friend dressed up as a construction worker and spooled wire across the two towers.  With the help of two more friends, they were able to attach the cable to the other tower.  Then early in the morning, Petit spent over an hour performing on the tight rope over 1,300 feet in the air.  

Gerstein´s illustrations are clear and powerful.  They are created in both oil and ink.  Through his illustrations you can see the perspective of the height of the towers.  His panoramic illustrations capture the rememberance of the World Trade Center, which is the site of the most aggressive act to take place on American soil.  The last page includes a painting of an imagined imprint of the towers that we only remember in memory.

Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers ; Mordicai Gerstein. Square fish.