The Man Who Walked Between the Towers facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Mordicai Gerstein |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Mordicai Gerstein |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Roaring Brook Press and Millbrook Press |
|
Publication date
|
September 5, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0-7613-1791-0 |
| OCLC | 52215062 |
| 791.3/4/092 B 21 | |
| LC Class | GV551 .G47 2003 |
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a fun picture book for kids. It was written and drawn by an American artist named Mordicai Gerstein. This book, published in 2003, tells the amazing true story of Philippe Petit. He was a French performer who, one morning in August 1974, did something incredible. He walked, lay down, knelt, and even danced on a tightrope! This wire stretched between the very tall twin towers of the World Trade Center. It was a quarter mile, or about 400 meters, above the ground! Mordicai Gerstein won the 2004 Caldecott Medal for his wonderful drawings in the book. This exciting story has also been made into a film and a ballet.
Contents
Philippe Petit's Amazing Walk
The Man Who Walked Between The Towers shares the story of Philippe Petit. He was a street performer from France. Philippe had a big dream: to walk on a wire between the two giant towers. He spent a lot of time planning and setting up his incredible act.
Planning the High-Wire Act
Philippe had walked on a wire before. He once performed on a wire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. For his new plan, he needed to get his equipment to the top of the World Trade Center towers. The towers were not quite finished yet, which helped his plan.
Getting Ready for the Walk
One early August morning, Philippe and a friend dressed like construction workers. They went up the South Tower. They brought a very heavy cable, weighing about 440 pounds (200 kg), in the elevator. They took it to the top 10 floors. Then, they waited until it was dark. After nightfall, they carried everything up 180 stairs to the roof.
At midnight, two more friends arrived to help. They used an arrow to shoot a thin line across to Philippe. He was 140 feet (43 meters) away on the other tower. The arrow missed and landed on a ledge. Philippe bravely crawled down the side of the tower to get the arrow.
Setting Up the Wire
Philippe attached a stronger line to the thin one. His friends pulled it back across. Then, he tied a thick cable, about 5/8 of an inch (1.6 cm) wide, to this line. The cable was so heavy! It took them three hours to secure the line between the two towers. By early morning on August 7, 1974, they had tightened the wire.
The Walk of a Lifetime
Philippe put on his black shirt and tights. He picked up his long balancing pole, which was 28 feet (8.5 meters) long. Then, he stepped onto the wire. He felt "alone and absolutely free," as the author Mordicai Gerstein wrote. People on the ground quickly noticed someone walking between the towers. They told the police right away. Officers rushed to the roofs of the towers. They shouted to Philippe, telling him to stop.
For almost an hour, Philippe walked, danced, and even leaped on the wire. He even lay down to rest! When he felt completely happy with his performance, he walked to one tower. He held out his wrists, ready for the police. They brought Philippe to court. The judge gave him a special sentence: he had to perform in a park for the children of the city. Philippe happily did this. During one performance, some kids accidentally moved his wire. Philippe fell but quickly caught himself!
Today, the twin towers are gone. But the memory of August 7, 1974, when a man walked between them, lives on.
Book Adaptations
This amazing story has been brought to life in other ways too!
Animated Film
The book was made into an animated short film in 2005. It had the same name, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. Michael Sporn created it for Weston Woods Studios. The film was narrated by the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. It won awards, including the Audience Choice Award at the 2005 Heartland Film Festival. It also won for Best Short Animation Made for Children in 2006. You can find it as an extra on the DVD of the movie Man on Wire.
Ballet Performance
The book was also turned into a two-act ballet. This ballet was performed at Rowan University in New Jersey. Paule Turner created and directed it. It first showed in December 2008 and got excellent reviews. The ballet mostly used dancing. But it also used puppets, especially during the exciting wirewalking part.
Live-Action Movie
A biographical drama film called The Walk was released in September 2015. It starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit.
