King of the tightrope When the Great Blondin ruled Niagara

Philippe Petit isn't the only daring French funambulist. Indeed, Jean-François Gravelet or the Great Blondin, as he would later be known defied gravity and expectations during the 1800s, most famously for walking over Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Bowman leads up to this monumental feat by first describing Blondin's childhood in the circus and the stunts he incorporated into his act to make it more challenging. The lifelike gouache-and-watercolor illustrations are rich with the drama and tension of Blondin's performances, depicting him balancing on a chair, playing instruments, and even cooking an omelet while on his tightrope. Bowman conjures the sheer magnitude of his Niagara endeavor as she describes the calculations, equipment, and manpower needed to simply get Blondin's rope from one shore to the other. And like the spectators there on June 30, 1859, readers will hold their breath as the Frenchman makes his legendary walk. She rounds out this daredevil's biography with a time line and trivia. Source notes and extended content can be found on the author's website.--Julia Smith Copyright 2019 Booklist

Gr 3--6--Jean-François Gravelet, also known as the Great Blondin, was a famous 19th-century French tightrope walker who toured the world performing dangerous feats. Relying on the financial assistance of his supporters and his own ingenuity, the Great Blondin achieved his dream of crossing a tightrope across Niagara Falls. Using sentences of varying lengths and occasional repetition and sprinkling in French words, Bowman makes this longer text accessible to a wide range of readers. Gustavson's gouache and watercolor images transport readers into Blondin's world. The final three pages include photographs and several facts about Blondin's life and his most famous feats. VERDICT This well-researched, riveting biography will inspire readers.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver Public Library

How famous French funambulist Jean-Franois Gravelet daringly traversed a tightrope spanning Niagara Falls in 1859.Born into a family of acrobats, gymnasts, and funambulists, or tightrope walkers, Jean-Franois learned to balance on a thick board at age 4 and "took to the rope like a spider takes to its web." Performing with his family throughout France, Jean-Franois twirled, flipped, leaped, and skipped across the high wire, inventing extreme balancing feats. Calling himself "the Great Blondin," he traveled to America in 1851, pushing his act to be ever more "merveilleux." Viewing Niagara Falls in 1858, Blondin imagined a tightrope stretched across it. Crossing "those roaring waters" became his life's ambition. Peppered with French words and phrases, Bowman's well-researched documentary text re-creates the energy, tactics, skill, engineering, unflinching optimism, and sheer grit of Blondin's preparations to cross Niagara as well as the skepticism and wonder of all who witnessed his legendary endeavor. Bold, colorful watercolor-and-gouache illustrations capture Blondin's high-wire escapades, from tottering childhood steps through his sure-footed Niagara crossing, with a dramatic, almost photographic realism. Theatrical lighting, stunning perspectives, and arresting close-ups convey the intensity of Blondin's feats, either high above the viewer on a rope spanning both pages or below the viewer perched over Niagara's turbulent waters. Historical notes, timeline, and photos complete the experience.Awesome, astounding, death-defying. (author's notes, photos) (Informational picture book. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.