Review by Booklist Review
Bridges are the focus in the newest volume in the Who Built That? series. Highlighting different engineering marvels from around the world, from the first cast-iron bridge built in the United Kingdom to ultramodern footbridges around the world, the collection offers an astounding array of technical marvels. Profiles of each bridge include a brief biography of the engineer(s), the circumstances that led to its creation, and the unique challenges and technological advancements of its construction. Most fascinating are the smaller details that go into each project: readers will not only understand how bridges are constructed but also gain a deeper appreciation of the individual components that make their construction possible. Ample white space and precise drawings are enlivened with bright splashes of color, and the unusual dimensions of the book allow the bridges to be seen in their entirety on one wide page. Although the intricately detailed drawings and advanced text make this better suited for older readers, the clean, bright, and modern package will be equally inviting for both casual browsing and careful examination.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
First published in France, this third entry in the Who Built That? series centers on 10 famous bridges and those who engineered them; the book opens calendar-style, and the squat, rectangular format echoes its subject matter. Precise pen-and-ink drawings and concise text emphasize the incremental steps that go into erecting a bridge: "Once the piers were built, temporary supports were raised between them so the bridge deck could be built," writes Cornille of France's Millau Viaduct. Anecdotal details provide a sense of each structure's cultural and practical significance-for example, during the inauguration of the Brooklyn Bridge, circus elephants were paraded across to demonstrate its sturdiness. Brief profiles of the bridges' designers and glancing discussions of other notable bridges round out a meticulously illustrated, thoroughly explained study of bridge-making. Ages 6-up. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-An overview of 10 bridges and their architects. Each engineering feat is introduced in chronological order, from 1779 to 2013. Several, such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, will be familiar to the intended audience, although most will be new discoveries. Readers are also introduced to a number of other famous or notable creations done by each designer. For example, the chapter on architect Santiago Calatrava and the Peace Bridge in Calgary, Canada, includes a page on his design for the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City. Expertly rendered line drawings give this a picture book feel, but the text is geared toward an older, more studious audience. The design resembles a bridge, asking readers to pursue it horizontally rather than vertically. Footnotes clarify the writing on certain spreads. VERDICT An artful selection for students interested in bridges or structural engineering in general.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This French import introduces readers to ten amazing bridges and their architects and engineers, including the first cast-iron bridge, built over England's Severn River in 1779; the Plougastel Bridge, an all-concrete bridge built in 1930 France; and Calgary's 2012 Peace Bridge, a 428-foot walkway. With a handsome horizontal design echoing the lines of a bridge, the book contains finely detailed, small-scale architectural drawings that invite careful scrutiny. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
