Review: Harry and the High Wire
Harry and the High Wire: Houdini's First Amazing Act by Julie Carpenter, illustrated by Laura Catalán Green Bean Books, 2024 Category: Picture Books Reviewer: Shanna Silva Buy at Bookshop.org Picture book biography Harry and The High Wire takes place during Houdini’s childhood, when he became enthralled with a tightrope walking act at the circus. For an ordinary boy, this taste of the extraordinary sparked his first interest in the performative arts. Harry became obsessed with mastering the tightrope walk, and with the encouragement of his supportive mother, he began practicing. The message from Pirkei Avot that “according to the effort is the reward,” shows the value of putting time into following a passion and developing a craft. Central to Harry’s eventual success were the failures along the way, when perseverance and self-belief propelled him to continue. The fully fold-out book is cleverly laid out so that the art continues on the pages that eventually lay out to 4 meters wid