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Mirette on the High Wire Review

One class which most influenced my two years in certifying to become a librarian was Children's Literature. As a non-Mom with no children and therefore no need for experience with children's books, I was absolutely MESMERIZED by "Mirette on the High Wire." Oh sure, I enjoyed The Wind in the Willows and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, but it was Mirette that sent me spinning. Why?

First, if you have never read "Mirette," then I urge you to find a copy--in your local library or bookstore--and read it. The book is a Caldecott Gold Medal Book with good reason--or reasons.

One: The main character is a girl, just a servant in her mother's boarding house, until Bellini comes to stay. Bellini, the Great Bellini, is a tightrope walker, famous throughout the world. Only now he lives with failed courage and has come anonymously to try to regain the requisite fearlessness he once owned to walk a rope over Niagra. All it takes for Mirette is one glance at Bellini "walking in the air" to ignite a passion to do that, too! A mere servant girl!

"Excuse me, Monsieur Bellini, I want to learn to do that!"
"Once you start..., your feet are never happy again on the ground."
"Oh please teach me! My feet are already unhappy on the ground."

Don't you love her pluck and persistence? Yes, of course, Bellini teaches her, an apt and quite capable student, almost as if she was born to tightrope!

Two: Separately from the fact of a girl as main character with determination, but also as a girl with an almost heroic accomplishment: She learns and becomes his partner and world famous. Such fame happens, but in a children's book? Obviously not every little girl who reads this book will want to become successful in such a field, but a seed of encouragement is surely planted. I love that!

Three: Separate from influence on another little girl's enlistment in possibilities is the impact on little boy readers. Imagine, they must think, a girl can tightrope. Seeds are planted here, too--the seeds of seeing equals, even role models, in fantastic endeavors. I love that so much more!

Four: It's not really the story that wins the Caldecott, but the artwork, although, of course, the story is paramount. However, the artwork for "Mirette" is simply extraordinary. Super extraordinary! The story is set in 19th century Paris at the time of the new art movements, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

If you remember, the Impressionists set the stage, so to speak, for modern art. They played with reality and the old rules of art by capturing the moment, an ordinary moment, instead of portraits of the rich and famous or magnificently memorable landscapes or an important point in history. Ordinary people doing ordinary things and blurring that moment, almost making literal a memory of that moment. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most people behold the beauty of the art of the Impressionists.

Claude Monet was, more or less, the captain of the crew, because his painting, derisively entitled "Sunset: A Moment" by a lackluster critic, was the first exhibited. Auguste Renoir is noted for the delicate beauty of his female subjects and landscapes and "moments" ("The Boating Party"). Monet's scenes, with their deliberate blurring (whether by intention or poor eyesight or both), and Renoir's exquisite paintings are major influences in "Mirette." You can readily discern that influence on almost every page.

The Post-Impressionists took the breaking of rules several steps further. They pushed color to an extreme, e.g., splashing greens onto faces in official portraits (Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin) or painting heretofore forbidden subjects, such as prostitutes, scenes in bars and salons, and barefoot, solidly built Tahitian women (Toulouse Lautrec and Gauguin). In fact, a couple of scenes in the dining room at night in the boarding house are reminiscent of the settings and colorings of both Van Gogh and Lautrec.

I wanted to mention the Post-Impressionist influence first because most of the artwork is Impressionistic in technique, however, McCully's depiction of Mirette is delicate, exquisite, and, in a most unusual manner, detailed. Impressionistic AND detailed? How? Early in the book Mirette is sitting on the stairs at night, listening to the stories of the circus players, actors, and other assorted characters in unusual livelihoods. The picture of Mirette, angled from behind, from a five o'clock perspective, took my breath away! Many illustrations of Mirette show her lighted almost from within. But on that staircase her eyelashes are what caught my eye! Eyelashes--so insignificant in most character paintings. However, that one detail shows how talented an artist McCully is.

Five: Mirette does go on to become Bellini's partner and becomes world-famous with him. However, the last page, the last scene, the last powerful--and poignant--image, is another breath-taker for its totally unexpected surprise. No, I'm telling, because you may not agree with my interpretation.

There is this large poster advertising that Mirette and Bellini are coming to town. Standing before it is a little girl about the age of Mirette when she first began walking the rope in the area behind their boarding house. Does this last illustration suggest that this little girl will be inspired to become a rope walker? Inspired, yes, a rope walker, no. Mirette's success, bizarre though it is, surely must be an in-your-face encouragement to "be all you can be," no matter what that is.

I don't know what that little girl is thinking, but some seeds are being planted. Of that I am sure.

(Until I wrote this review, I didn't know there are two more books in the Mirette series: Starring mirette & bellini (Picture Puffins) and "Mirette and Bellini Cross Niagra Falls" (Amazon won't bring up this title for the blue print, but the book is available through Amazon).

Mirette on the High Wire Feature

ISBN13: 9780698114432
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Mirette on the High Wire Overview

Mirette was always fascinated by the strange and interesting people who stayed in her mother's boarding house. But no one excited her as much as Bellini, who walks the clothesline with the grace and ease of a bird. When Mirette discovers that fear has kept him from performing for years, she sets out to show him that sometimes a student can be the greatest teacher of all. Full color.

Mirette on the High Wire Specifications

Mirette and the "Great Bellini" traverse the Paris skyline on high wire in the climactic scene of this picture book about conquering fear. The two meet at Mirette's mother's boarding house, where Bellini is staying with a troupe of traveling performers. Mirette persuades Bellini to teach her his art, and soon enough the two are performing above the rooftops of Paris. While Mirette gets to step outside her daily routine of peeling potatoes and scrubbing floors, Bellini manages to reaffirm his mastery. The story affords a spunky, down-to-earth role model for readers who like to dream big dreams. It also offers rich, scenic portraits of 19th century Paris. The book won the 1993 Caldecott Medal.

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Customer Reviews

Role of the child's spirit in giving meaning to the adult's life - M. Cabral - Seattle, WA USA
The child needs the adult to learn a skill she loves (highwire walking). The adult needs the child to provide him, through her excitement, with the motivation he has lost; and, through her judgement, to shame him into regaining his bravery of younger years. Thus the adult and the child depend on eachoter. Few children story books honor children rightfully in this way. This book emphasizes the importance of the child's spirit, energy, excitement and hope, to give meaning to our adult lives. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful. Every aspect of the story is beautiful and sensitive. There are two sequel books which are also good but not as good as this first one in terms of meaning.

Ok but not good for a child with anxieties - A. Forsythe -
After reading so many great reviews I was disappointed and didn't even read this to my daughter. Bellini's line "once you have fear on the wire it never leaves", followed by his attempt at going out on the wire and then freezing with fear --- after he had spent a lifetime doing daring feats --- brings up a new kind of anxiety that I didn't want to introduce to my daughter. She works hard to face her fears and I didn't want to put the idea in her head that even if she faces them and successfully conquers them for many years, suddenly they may overtake her even after much success. That part of the story may have been ok if Bellini had resolved this by himself, facing his fears and conquering them, but he didn't. An adult may read the story and recognize that Bellini staged the event but a child would read this as if he would have failed his tightwalk attempt and been left frozen in his fear if it weren't for Mirette. So the idea that a highly accomplished champion may suddenly develop debilitating fear that he is incapable of overcoming on his own is a message I don't want to burden my child with.

A great book - -
I loved Mirette on the High Wire because, it had great illustrations about the settings and the texture. But I think that they're was to much shading in the pictures. I definitely recommend this book to kids from 6-11 if your age 6 and you're a fluent reader.

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Children's Books

Wednesday, August 25, 2010