King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara [Paperback]

In 1859, The Great Blondin took the most dangerous tightrope walk of his career—a death-defying walk across Niagara Falls. History and STEAM combine for an edge-of-your-seat read.

At the age of four, Jean-Francois Gravelet walked across his first balance beam. Later, he took to the tightrope like a spider to its web and climbed toward stardom. Though his feats became more and more marvelous, he grew bored. That is, until he visited Niagara Falls and imagined doing something that no one else had ever accomplished.

To cross the raging river, the Great Blondin needed determination, an understanding of engineering, and a belief that what he could imagine, he could accomplish. And in 1859, with all of his preparation complete, Blondin stepped out onto the most dangerous tightrope walk he'd ever faced.

Award-winning nonfiction author Donna Janell Bowman uses her trademark in-depth research to give readers a close look at the hard work and meticulous mathematic and scientific planning it took to plan and execute and astonish feat. Adam Gustavson's detailed illustrations turn this book into an experience that will astound and inspire. This fascinating, STEAM-filled story will have readers holding their breath! The lifelike gouache-and-watercolor illustrations are rich with the drama and tension of Blondin's performances. . . 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. —Booklist

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 thel#-