Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge
Written by Elizabeth Partridge
Illustrated by Ellen Heck
San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2024. Informational.
The two curious children of a San Francisco Bay lighthouse keeper are fascinated by the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, deemed impossible by critics of the time. They follow along, receiving occasional visits from the project foreman, as crews dive beneath the surface of the bay to build the foundations and walk hundreds of feet in the air to rivet the towers upwards, raising the then-longest suspension bridge ever built.
Each step of the iconic bridge's construction is chronicled in the text, highlighting the dangerous and crucial work of the riveting gangs and the wire walkers, specialized and brought in from around the nation for their expertise. Vibrant illustrations bring the assembly of the landmark to life, depicting both the workers and their craft. Throughout the construction process, a blueprint of the bridge gives a zoomed out view of the plans across the bottom of each spread, marking the already completed portions of the structure in red so readers can easily follow the big picture of the assembly. Readers interested in construction, history, or architecture will be riveted. A fascinating look at an iconic landmark that will draw in readers young and old.

Comments