It’s fascinating to see which stories are made into children entertainment, and Philippe Petit’s incredible feat of walking between the twin towers of the World Trade Center should be something to spur on a child’s imagination. His story was adapted by Mordicai Gerstein into a children’s story and it’s one of four that has been included in this collection boasting themes of self esteem, reading skills, and creativity.
First off there’s “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers”, written and illustrated by Gerstein, and the story is narrated here by Jake Gyllenhaal. It’s the kind of story that can inspire a kid to dream big, so just make sure they don’t attempt to reproduce the stunt. The second story on the disc is “Crow Boy”, Taro Yashima’s tale about a marginalized youth who becomes popular after talking like crows at the school talent show. It’s another self esteem booster.
Then the disc moves into the stories about creativity, and it starts with Barbara Kerley’s “The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins”, illustrated by Brian Selznick, about Waterhouse Hawkins the man who became famous when he built the world’s first life-size model dinosaur. It’s like a true, albeit less awesome, Jurassic Park for kids narrated by Jonathan Pryce. Finally, it’s Barbara Cooney’s “Miss Rumphius, as narrated by Claire Danes, about a lady named Alice with big dreams of traveling the world and making it a better place. It just might be the best, most ambitious lesson in the bunch and it’s a good endpoint.
DVD Bonus Features
There’s only one extra feature and it’s an interview with Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick as they talk about their work on “The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins”. Additionally, there’s a Spanish language track for “Miss Rumphius”.
"The Man Who Walked Between the Towers and more inspiring tales" is on sale August 16, 2011 and is not rated. Children & Family. Written by Mordicai Gerstein, Taro Yashima, Barbara Kerley, Barbara Cooney. Starring Claire Danes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Pryce.
