Mirette on the High Wire

When a tall, sad-faced stranger comes to live at the boarding house run by her mother in nineteenth-century Paris, young Mirette Gâteau quickly discovers that there is more to this new lodger than meets the eye. Happening upon him practicing the high-wire in the courtyard, Mirette is enchanted, and asks him to teach her. Undaunted by his refusal, she sets out to teach herself, eventually inspiring Monsieur Bellini - the "Great Bellini" himself, once the world's foremost high-wire artist, but now fallen on hard times after losing his nerve - to try to make a comeback.

An engaging tale of friendship, dreaming big, and trying again when things have gone wrong, Mirette on the Highwire was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1993, and it's not show more difficult to see why. Emily Arnold McCully makes excellent use of color (Mirette's blue dress really stands out, in every scene in which she appears) and light in her watercolor artwork, which ably conveys the atmosphere of a Paris neighborhood, "one hundred years ago," and captures the magic of performing on the high-wire. I don't know that it will ever make any of my "favorites" lists, but overall I found it charming, in both story and illustration. show less

I neither love nor hate Mirette on the High Wire. The story is inspired by a real life dare-devil, as well as the author's own risk-taking personality. That tidbit at the end of the book on the last end page is interesting, as is how McCully coveys a story based in France with the notorious French style of Impressionism used for the illustrations. While I enjoyed the overall story, impressionism is one of my least favorite art styles and automatically makes it less appealing to me. Also the soft rendering of the images generates a lack of drama and tension during the scenes with Bellini and Mirette walking the tightrope. But this is all subjective and based solely on my own likes as opposed to the unique attributes on the book itself. show more This time, however, I am unable to completely separate the two. show less

I loved loved loved this book as a child...though oddly it never made me want to try to walk on a wire! I guess I always was drawn to stories of children whose questions and hopes are taken seriously by adults. The gorgeous, impressionist-influenced paintings of turn of the century entertainers certainly helped keep me captivated.

One day, a mysterious stranger arrives at a boardinghouse of the widow Gateau--a sad-faced stranger, who keeps to himself. When the widow's daughter, Mirette, discovers him crossing the courtyard on air, she begs him to teach her how he does it.

But Mirette doesn't know that the stranger was once the Great Bellini--master wire-walker. Or that Bellini has been stopped by a terrible fear. And it is she who must teach him courage once again.

Emily Arnold McCully's sweeping watercolor paintings carry the reader over the rooftops of nineteenth-century Paris and into an elegant, beautiful world of acrobats, jugglers, mimes, actors, and one gallant, resourceful little girl.

A fun book that focuses on high wire walking as a young girl is inspired by a legendary master. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is very fleshed out. I like the character progression and will be looking forward to reading the two books that serve as sequels to it!

In my opinion, “Mirette on the High Wire” is a unique book for young readers who are interested in learning about old French culture. The story occurs in Paris, France, and it takes place over one hundred years ago. Mirette is the main character, and she lives with her mother in a boarding house on English Street. The plot is very suspenseful. When Mirette sees Monsieur Bellini crossing the courtyard in midair, she decides that she wants to be like Bellini. She begins to practice balancing on a low wire. Although she falls many times, she keeps getting up to try again. The book says, “In a day, she managed three steps without wavering.” Bellini provides an insightful moral to the story. He tells Mirette, “In the beginning show more everyone falls. Most people give up. But you keep trying. Perhaps you have talent as well.” The book pushes students to broaden their perspectives about what talent really is. The book teaches an important lesson that everyone could become good at something if they are dedicated to practicing and never give up. At the conclusion of the story, Mirette is successful, and she travels the world while performing with Bellini. The book’s illustrations are unquestionably stunning. The illustrations showcase all of the suspenseful parts of the story with watercolor paint and pastels. The big idea of the story is to tell readers to never give up on a dream and to work hard to get what they want. show less

A good story in addition to beautiful artwork. McCully tackles fear, persistence, and adventure, themes that ring true in a child's experience, and develops them in a fresh, believable setting. My five year old son felt the tension in the book, with tears of compassion and joy for the characters. Discussion questions pour out of the book readily. It is a book worth enjoying and discussing more than once.