Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

Like his previous <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Rushmore and <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Liberty, Curlee's latest picture book celebrates a monumental feat of engineering and craftsmanship, and makes clear the human contributions behind it. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge's "stone towers were the most massive structures on the continent,… its span was by far the longest in the world." Curlee pays tribute to the remarkable people who built this massive structure as well as the tremendous sacrifices they made. Many of those who worked on the bridge incurred injuries, illnesses and even death over the 16 years from its initial design to completion, not least of which was Chief Engineer John Roebling, who died of complications from an accident while working on the bridge, and his son, Washington, who finished his father's work even as he suffered great physical pain. Washington's wife, Emily, played a crucial role in helping her husband carry out the landmark's completion. The sweeping cityscape oil paintings of the bridge during sunset fireworks and glowing in the moonlight illustrate its majesty and pageantry. Maps, paintings and diagrams clearly delineate the location, mechanics and challenges described in the prose. Appendix illustrations offer detailed diagrams of suspension and support, specifications and a timeline. Readers fascinated with how things work may well regard bridges with greater respect, and aspiring engineers will gain a strong sense of the all-encompassing process of designing and erecting a suspension bridge. Ages 8-12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

Called the eighth wonder of the world, the Brooklyn Bridge was 16 years in the making, the first large-scale use of steel, and at one time the tallest structure in North America. Curlee serves up these facts to introduce the twin stories of the bridge and the family that took it from idea to reality. When the designer, John August Roebling, died shortly after the first surveying trip, the project was passed to his son, Washington. After repeated trips into the caissons caused Washington to be confined to his bed, his wife, Emily became his deputy and helped shepherd the engineering marvel to completion. The illustrations, acrylic paintings reproduced from photographs, are simple and dramatic. Budding engineers will especially enjoy all the extra information: a list of the bridge's specifications and several labeled diagrams and cross sections, including one showing men hard at work inside a caisson, deep below the waterline.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Katie is sent away to boarding school after her older brother slips into violent mental illness. An accomplished swimmer, Katie uses her athletic ability to leverage friendships and a new identity. Filled with honest portraits of flawed teenagers, Warman's story (semiautobiographical) explores from different angles the idea that love conquers all.

Kirkus Reviews

A goldmine of information in this lucid and elegant recounting of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, with equally resplendent paintings. The story itself is deeply dramatic and set in relief by the author's straightforward account. John A. Roebling, a German immigrant, studied and practiced building suspension bridges his whole life and convinced the government that this was the way to connect Brooklyn to New York. But while he was surveying the river site, a ferry smashed his foot, and he died of lockjaw, leaving his 32-year-old son Washington to run the massive project. Curlee does an excellent job not only of describing how the bridge was engineered and built, but of reminding his audience how different things were in 1870. In fascinating detail he describes how foundations had to be dug out by hand; that no one knew how to prevent "the bends" by moving slowly rather than directly out of a compressed air environment; and that much of what Roebling planned had first to be invented. Himself a victim of the bends, for the last 11 years of the project Roebling was a housebound invalid, and his wife, Emily, acted as his voice and assistant. On May 24, 1883, US President Chester A. Arthur led a huge celebration to open the bridge, whose beauty and majesty, no less than its perfect strength, has seen it through more than a century of traffic from carriages to cars. Heavily based on David McCullough's The Great Bridge , one of four items in the bibliography, this awe-inspiring study provides an excellent resource for young people. (specifications, timeline, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

Gr 3-6 A wonderful picture book that tells the history behind the bridge and its construction, complete with the engineering facts and the human-interest anecdotes as well. Using full-color illustrations and diagrams, Curlee explains why the bridge was needed, why the engineering behind it was so important and innovative, and what the bridge has meant to those living in New York. The book's most important features include careful diagrams and descriptions showing how construction was conceived and executed. A map shows the bridge's location and a cross-section drawing delineates the caissons, supply shafts, air locks, etc. The narrative opens with New York City after the Civil War, explains the financing and final decision to build the bridge, and describes the roles of John A. Roebling and, later, his son, Washington, as Chief Engineer. A list of the bridge's specifications and a time line are appended. While not as complex as Elizabeth Mann's The Brooklyn Bridge (Mikaya, 1996), this title will appeal to audiences looking for report information and to those looking for an exciting story. Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City