Review by Booklist Review
This picture book details the accomplishments of Jean François Gravelet, also known as the Great Blondin, a renowned rope walker who crossed Niagara Falls by tightrope several times during the summers of 1859 and 1860. Despite predictions of certain death, Blondin was determined to do something previously thought impossible. His thrilling performances attracted huge crowds, and Blondin steadily incorporated more challenging aspects. After two years, Blondin decided he had proven his point and moved on. His career continued for another two decades, but he never returned to Niagara. The extra-large format and several full-page illustrations help young readers grasp the enormity of the Falls, especially when Blondin appears as a tiny figure over the great expanse. Dramatically illustrated scenes also allow readers to understand the difficulty of the task, including the careful preparations, en route maneuvers, and evident relief upon returning to solid ground. This would be an inspirational read-aloud for a unit on dreamers and adventurers those daunting individuals who somehow make the impossible possible.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Tavares (Growing Up Pedro) employs his realistic gouache and watercolor illustrations to tell the story of famous stuntman the Great Blondin, and his harrowing tightrope walks across the Niagara River. Born Jean François Gravelet, the Frenchman began his career as a child circus acrobat. Light-infused scenes depict the adult Blondin's perilous yet successful river crossings during the summers of 1859 and 1860. Varied perspectives put readers among spectators on the cliff banks as well as on the wire with Blondin, looking down at the water and the Maid of the Mist tour boat far below ("Gamblers bet large amounts of money on how it would end. The odds were not in Blondin's favor"). A gatefold features the showman executing animated tricks along one tightrope-walking on stilts, balancing atop a chair, crossing backward-and the tale climaxes and concludes with the near-disastrous piggyback-ride crossing Blondin performs with his manager on his back. Tavares's sweeping panoramas and direct storytelling easily transport audiences back to those suspense-filled summer days more than 150 years ago. A brief author's note and bibliography are included. Ages 6-9. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-This engagingly illustrated biography of famed tightrope walker the Great Blondin vividly evokes the anxiety and excitement of his awe-inspiring crossings of Niagara Falls. Jean François Gravelet began his career at just five years old and soon became the most famous tightrope walker in the world, earning the nickname the Great Blondin. After a visit to Niagara Falls with his circus troupe, Blondin was seized by the idea of spanning the great distance between the American and Canadian sides of the falls with his tightrope. His initial success in June 1859 inspired him to do it again and again, adding more elaborate tricks and techniques each time. Tavares focuses very specifically on Blondin's crossings. Although the lack of biographical details may frustrate older readers, it makes the story accessible to those who aren't yet ready to take on more in-depth biographies. This volume will draw inevitable comparisons to Mordicai Gerstein's The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Roaring Brook, 2003) and makes for a great read-alike suggestion. As with his other titles, Tavares's strength lies in his inviting watercolor, pencil, and gouache illustrations, which convey here the majesty of the waterfall and Blondin's achievement, as well as the intensity of the hundreds of people who gathered to watch. Their alternately terrified and excited faces add depth to the story and draw the eye. VERDICT A simple but effective biography about a remarkable talent expressed through striking visuals.-Kristy Pasquariello, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In 1859, Jean Franois Gravelet -- the Great Blondin -- was the worlds greatest tightrope walker. Niagara Falls, then as now one of the worlds most breathtaking natural attractions, called to Blondin: "What a splendid place to bridge with a tightrope!" Tavaress straightforward telling details all the drama of Blondins multiple crossings, which drew huge crowds to the Fallsat first. Eventually, the spectacle of a man doing stunts -- many of which are shown on a boldly illustrated gatefold -- on a three-inch-wide rope high above Niagara Falls lost its appeal, and Blondin moved on. The storytelling is a bit abrupt both at the outset and at books end, but it is helpfully augmented by the volumes oversized trim and Tavaress arresting illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and pencil. Throughout, Tavares lovingly depicts the Falls in mist-enshrouded aquas and grays; even when the mighty waterfall is offstage, the white vapor permeates everything. He continually varies the perspective, sometimes giving the reader a birds-eye view (as in the vertigo-inducing shot of Blondin holding a bottle aloft with the Maid of the Mist boat far below), at other times composing faraway shots to show the mammoth scope of the surroundings. An authors note and selected bibliography round out this sure-footed offering. sam bloom (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Tavares reanimates the achievements of the French-born tightrope walker Jean-Franois Gravelet, aka "the Great Blondin"first to cross over the Niagara River, in 1859. After the briefest of childhood back stories, the focus is fully on Blondin's determined dream, hatched while touring the United States with a circus troupe. Blondin acquired backing from a local newspaper and permissions from property owners in both New York and Canada (though crossing the falls themselves was disallowed). A 3-inch-wide rope was stretched 1,100 feet across; a web of guy ropes, set by Blondin himself, stabilized it. Tavares' straightforward narrative allows Blondin's feat to shine: the aerialist not only walks to Canadaand backbut performs tricks along the way. Pictures often reveal more than words. A double gatefold's text reads: "During the summers of 1859 and 1860, Blondin performed on his rope more than a dozen times. With each performance, he tried to do somethingthat had never, ever been done before." The illustration (in watercolor, gouache, and pencil) depicts eight Blondins, across the rope's middle spanwalking in shackles, on stilts, with a wheelbarrow, somersaulting. Tavares' color palette captures the stunning falls, river, and forested slopes in gray-white mist, pastel blues, and soft greens. He varies perspective and depicts period clothing and transportation. Attributed thoughts and quotes are not specifically sourced. A compressed, respectful glimpse at the achievements of a fascinating 19th-century daredevil. (author's note, selected bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
