How Emily Saved the Bridge by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by
Natalie Nelson. NON-FICTION/ PICTURE BOOK Groundwood
Books (Ananasi), 2019. $20. 9781773061047
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
John Roebling was trying to build a suspension bridge to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn, but was killed from an injury. John’s son, Washington, took over his father’s
work on the bridge, but was made ill through his work with the compressed air while
digging to the bedrock of the river. Washington’s
wife, Emily Roebling, took over the project and learned everything she could
about the bridge taking the project to it’s finish. Emily went on to study law and fight for women’s
rights.
This is a unique and little known
story about the Brooklyn Bridge. I
enjoyed learning about Emily and what it took to build the bridge, but also how
she overcame social conventions and did what she felt needed to be done. The illustrations are a bit strange (especially
the bright red noses) and the text is lengthy for a picture book, but the story
is inspiring.
Reviewer, C. Peterson
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