"Award Honors Illustrator"

The votes have been counted and the winner of the Caldecott Medal for 2004 is…drum role please…”The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.” This wonderfully illustrated book was both written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein.

The Caldecott Medal is a very important award in children’s literature because, unlike most awards in this genre, which are primarily awarded on literary merit, the Caldecott Medal is an award based on the artistic achievement of the illustrator.

Named after the late nineteenth-century English illustrator, Randolph Caldecott, the award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, which is a division of the American Library Association.

By flipping through the pages of the book, one can readily see why “The Man Who Walked Between The Towers” was picked to be the Caldecott Medal winner for 2004. The illustrations are wonderful! They are very colorful and detailed. Gerstein did a fantastic job of using geometric figures such as squares, rectangles, and lines to create eye-captivating scenes.

“The Man Who Walked Between The Towers” is a true story about a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit who wanted to walk on a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York in 1974. Philippe is described as a young man who found his place in life by entertaining people in the parks of New York. He was a very talented young man and could do amazing tricks such as juggling and unicycle riding. However, the one thing Philippe liked to do most was tightrope walking, and he was very good at it.

One day, Philippe noticed the space between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. He did not focus on the towers themselves, but the space between the towers. He wanted to walk that space! Philippe was the type of person who, once he set his mind to do something, he did it. If he saw two balls, he would juggle them; and if he saw a space that needed to be walked, he would walk it. That is exactly what he thought he needed to do with the space between the two towers. However, once the police caught wind of what Philippe wanted to do, they were not happy.

To learn if Philippe walks the space between the towers or if the police cut the rope to Philippe’s idea, check out “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein. I guarantee it will keep you interested, not just with the amazing story line but also with the fantastic illustrations that take your eyes on the journey as well.

This book is also special because it involves the towers that were destroyed during the 9/11 attack on our nation. Through Gerstein’s book and many others like it, the twin towers of the World Trade Center will live in the hearts and minds of children around the world forever.

If you would be interested in checking out “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers”, or any other award-winning books, make sure to stop by the Columbus Public Library and see what we have to offer. I am sure you will find something that will win your approval.

Donations to the Columbus Library Foundation include a memorial from Irene Chesnut in memory of Gail Parrott. Ruby Behlen presented a memorial in honor of Monica Wunderlich. RoJean Lambrecht presented a memorial in memory of Fritz Engel, father-in-law to library employee, Peggy Engel. A donation was also received by Mr. and Mrs. Donald Doolittle for the purchase of a book on wildflowers along the Lewis and Clark trail.