The book won the Caldecott Medal for its beautiful watercolor illustrations. These illustrations capture for readers the courageous actions of Petit and his assistants as they lug cable to the top of the almost-completed World Trade Center and secure it for his daring, yet illegal, tightrope walk. The reader gets a sense of the urgency from the darkened and shadowed illustrations depicting their nighttime activities to secure the line. Readers will also thrill at the colorful illustrations that show Petit's birds-eye view of New York City sprawling beneath him as he walks, dances, and even lies down upon the wire. The illustrations give an accurate perspective of the distance, height and angles at which Petit was working. The most riveting illustration comes at the end, when the text briefly mentions that the World Trade Center towers are no longer standing but that the towers are still there in memory. In the illustration, a watermark of the towers is superimposed on the image of New York City's skyline. Since I visited New York City at this time a year ago, it brought goose bumps to my arms. When I viewed the wreckage of the September 11th attacks, it was hard to visualize anything but the sadness of that day. However, this children's book gave me hope that once again, joyous and memorable occasions, such as Petit’s walk across the sky, can happen.Readers who enjoy this book might also enjoy the documentary Man on Wire. This movie shows actual footage of Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk in New York City, along with interviews with him and his assistants. Due to language, portions of this documentary would not be suitable for use in a classroom. But, the segment showing his walk across the wire might help children make a stronger connection to the book. A good pairing for this book would be fellow Caldecott winner, Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully.
After this riveting read, I needed a moment to absorb the anxiety of waiting for Petit’s walk across the sky and the memories of the World Trade Center towers. So, I turned to Caldecott Honor winners by humorous children’s author Mo Willems. Reading Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny, who earned Caldecott Honors in 2004 and 2005 respectively, made my heart light-hearted once again.
In Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, the bus
driver walks away, firmly instructing the reader to not let the pigeon drive the bus. The reader is at once engaged in the story, feeling a responsibility to carry out their duties. However, the pigeon immediately begins pleading for the chance to drive the bus, resorting to pleading, bargaining, and even a temper tantrum. The illustrations are simple, but match the text. Single pen strokes convey the pigeon’s anger with the slant of his eyes, a cloud above his head, and the way he stands. The illustrations help the reader understand the moods of the pigeon as he attempts to persuade the reader, making them giggle and laugh. This book would be a fun way to teach primary students about persuasive writing.
In Knuffle Bunny, young Trixie loses her favorite stuffed animal, a bunny, while at the Laundromat with her father. Again, the text is simple but manages to convey everything that Trixie feels. Her use of “baby talk” to throw a temper tantrum in the park makes you giggle and recall the moments that you might have felt like doing the same. And again, simple strokes of the pen depict the character’s feelings, such as Trixie’s heavy-lidded eyes showing anger at her father. However, that is where similarities in illustrations with Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus end. Knuffle Bunny is a collage of photographs and drawings. Photographs of actual buildings provide the background for the setting and illustrations while the characters and other items are drawn in. It is clever and adds a dimension to the book. I like this book because most of us have had a favorite stuffed animal in our own childhood. Losing it or outgrowing it was probably as traumatic for us as it is for poor Trixie. My favorite part of the story is when the pigeon makes a surprise appearance in the illustrations. Can you read the story and find it?This evening, after my husband and I returned
from watching the fireworks at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., I was tired and ready for a relaxing read. That’s why I settled in on the couch with Kitten’s Full Moon by Kevin Henkes. Winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal, this book features striking illustrations that set the tone and mood of the book. Illustrations completely done in black and white, with subtle shades of gray, provide the perfect backdrop for Kitten's evening hunt for a bowl of milk. Convinced that the full moon is a bowl of milk just waiting for her, Kitten sets out stalking it, making you laugh with the situations in which she finds herself. This book, simple in plot and text like the Mo Willems' books, is perfect for young readers. They can read the text by themselves, but understand the context of the few lines of text through the excellent illustrations. This book was a perfect choice to help me unwind at the end of a long evening.
While feeling unwound, I read another Caldecott Medal winner that seemed appropriate for evening. This book, The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, won the Caldecott Medal in 2009. The book reminded me of Kitten's First Full Moon due to its black and white illustrations, with just touches of yellow to lighten the dark illustrations. In this story, a young child is preparing for bed and finds comfort in a familiar story, which brings light to the room. The dark illustrations are fitting for the bedtime setting and the touches of yellow illuminate the room and provide a contrast to depict what the character must be feeling. In some ways, the story also reminded me of Goodnight Moon. It's a cumulative tale in which the main character is preparing their mind with comfort for a good night's rest.Due to these excellent reads throughout this holiday, I too shall find comfort in a good night's rest. Good night moon...
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