Author / Illustrator: Mordicai Gerstein
Publisher : Square Fish
ISBN : 9780312368784
(Buy / Borrow)
I was pleasantly surprised one day during class that this book was chosen for a read aloud. I had recently watched the documentary about Philippe Petit on television, and I didn’t know that someone had written a children’s book about his high wire adventure between the two World Trade Center towers.
I really enjoyed the auditory and visual embellishments that were added during the read aloud as I did during a similar read aloud of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. The most interesting parts of the book for me, however, were the pages that folded out to emphasize the height of the buildings and how far the distance was between them. Growing up as I did, in a world where the internet had not yet become mainstream, reading and imagination were the two things I could always use to be “transported” to new and different places any time that I wanted. Books such as these were akin to magic for me as a child. I can remember bringing the same ones home from the library over and over again, even after I knew the entire story by heart, just because of the unique features like foldouts.
As the subject of this entry in my blog is not only about the literature and how it was presented, I have some other thoughts with regard to the story’s connection to the world around us. I must say that I felt that my instructor's reason for choosing this particular book to read, just before the nine year anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy, was very admirable.
It is a sad fact that most of the memories associated with those towers today are of death, destruction, heartache, malice, and hatred. He was right to point out to everyone that there are plenty of positive memories that we can look fondly upon as well. I think it speaks to the state that the people of the US have been in for the past several years. Almost on a daily basis, it seems as though we are reminded that we should fear this “dark force” that could be all around us and might strike at any second. We are so programmed to be aware of this “looming threat” that the power of the negativity pervades our days and nights.
A reminder of a comically innocent event, despite its illegal and ill advised nature, is just what is needed when looking back at the legacy of the towers. Some may ask, “What is the inherent value of Mr. Petit’s actions?”. To those individuals, I would like to draw their attention to the actions of a similar individual, Daniel Goodwin, who has recently been in the news for climbing the exterior of the Millennium Tower in San Francisco, CA on September 06, 2010. Like Mr. Petit, Goodwin was also arrested for performing this dangerous feat. Among his reasons for undertaking the climb, he stated that he did so to inspire others like himself who are battling cancer. Perhaps his method of providing inspiration was also ill advised, but just as Mr. Petit “had to walk”, Mr. Goodwin “had to climb”, and in a world that is silently whispering “can’t” inside the minds of its citizens, value in the levity of the actions of someone who only hears “can” is immeasurable.
