Illustrated Friday: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Today is definitely a somber day and a day for thinking and reflecting, so I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite illustrated books- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is the story of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The towers are featured in many of the illustrations in various stages; under construction, fully completed, in ruins, and, finally, in memory. Philippe Petit's accomplishment of walking between the towers is presented as a dream the towers inspired and an accomplishment they helped make possible.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a brilliant book because it can be used in so many different ways: as a story of one man's goal made into reality; as a work of art (the illustrations are truly breathtaking); perhaps most importantly, as a way to bring about conversation about a day that even years later is truly painful for many people. However it's used, though, it's an enjoyable true story with beautiful illustrations, which is ultimately what Illustrated Friday is all about.