Brooklyn Bridge
- Book Review,
by Lynn Curlee
From Publishers Weekly
Like his previous Rushmore and Liberty, Curlee's latest picture book celebrates a monumental feat of engineering and craftsmanship, and makes clear the human contributions behind it. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge's "stone towers were the most massive structures on the continent, its span was by far the longest in the world." Curlee pays tribute to the remarkable people who built this massive structure as well as the tremendous sacrifices they made. Many of those who worked on the bridge incurred injuries, illnesses and even death over the 16 years from its initial design to completion, not least of which was Chief Engineer John Roebling, who died of complications from an accident while working on the bridge, and his son, Washington, who finished his father's work even as he suffered great physical pain. Washington's wife, Emily, played a crucial role in helping her husband carry out the landmark's completion. The sweeping cityscape oil paintings of the bridge during sunset fireworks and glowing in the moonlight illustrate its majesty and pageantry. Maps, paintings and diagrams clearly delineate the location, mechanics and challenges described in the prose. Appendix illustrations offer detailed diagrams of suspension and support, specifications and a timeline. Readers fascinated with how things work may well regard bridges with greater respect, and aspiring engineers will gain a strong sense of the all-encompassing process of designing and erecting a suspension bridge. Ages 8-12. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-A wonderful picture book that tells the history behind the bridge and its construction, complete with the engineering facts and the human-interest anecdotes as well. Using full-color illustrations and diagrams, Curlee explains why the bridge was needed, why the engineering behind it was so important and innovative, and what the bridge has meant to those living in New York. The book's most important features include careful diagrams and descriptions showing how construction was conceived and executed. A map shows the bridge's location and a cross-section drawing delineates the caissons, supply shafts, air locks, etc. The narrative opens with New York City after the Civil War, explains the financing and final decision to build the bridge, and describes the roles of John A. Roebling and, later, his son, Washington, as Chief Engineer. A list of the bridge's specifications and a time line are appended. While not as complex as Elizabeth Mann's The Brooklyn Bridge (Mikaya, 1996), this title will appeal to audiences looking for report information and to those looking for an exciting story.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York CityCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. Called the eighth wonder of the world, the Brooklyn Bridge was 16 years in the making, the first large-scale use of steel, and at one time the tallest structure in North America. Curlee serves up these facts to introduce the twin stories of the bridge and the family that took it from idea to reality. When the designer, John August Roebling, died shortly after the first surveying trip, the project was passed to his son, Washington. After repeated trips into the caissons caused Washington to be confined to his bed, his wife, Emily became his deputy and helped shepherd the engineering marvel to completion. The illustrations, acrylic paintings reproduced from photographs, are simple and dramatic. Budding engineers will especially enjoy all the extra information: a list of the bridge's specifications and several labeled diagrams and cross sections, including one showing men hard at work inside a caisson, deep below the waterline. Randy Meyer
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
"It so happens that the work which is likely to be our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is a work of bare utility; not a shrine, not a fortress, but a bridge." So wrote one architectural critic of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the grandest and most eloquent monuments to the American spirit that our country has produced. Its magnificent site, breathtaking span, cutting-edge technology, and sheer beauty have made it the subject of poems, paintings, photographs, novels, plays, and movies. Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge's triumphant arches lie astonishing tales of death, deception, genius, and daring. Over the fourteen-year course of its construction, there were many deaths, including that of John A. Roebling, designer and chief engineer; an underwater fire; and even fraud. Finally, though, the bridge was finished, and as part of the opening day festivities, the president, and two mayors crossed it. In this stunning visual history, Lynn Curlee tells the fascinating story of the history and construction of the "Eighth Wonder of the World."
About the Author
Lynn Curlee was educated as an art historian and worked as a fine artist for many years before he began to illustrate children's books. He is the illustrator of Horses with Wings by Dennis Haseley, and the author-illustrator of Ships of the Air, Into the Ice: The Story of Arctic Exploration, Rushmore, and Liberty. Mr. Curlee lives on the east end of Long Island, New York.
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