The youngest in a family of nine children, Julie Gassman grew up in Howard, South Dakota. After college, she traded in small-town life for the world of magazine publishing in New York City. She now lives in southern Minnesota with her husband and their three children.
In this picture book, Gassman tells the true story of sea captains
and their crews who helped to evacuate nearly 500,000 people that
day. The art adds a unique dimension to this story, with an
emphasis on the blue sky as a backdrop to detailed, monochromatic
line drawings.-- "Publishers Weekly, "15 Years After September
11""
Accessible, informative text presents the tragedy with relevant
detail and explains how captains and crews worked together to bring
almost 500,000 people to safety. . .Quotations from these heroic
responders bring immediacy to the story, while the author's note
offers an additional personal perspective. . . .This accessible,
fact-based account of the boat evacuations that took place on 9/11
puts faces on some of the many heroes who stepped forward to help
in a time of crisis.-- "Kirkus"
Gassman's straightforward prose style is all the more powerful and
moving for its simplicity, and Steve Moors's accompanying
illustrations are perfect for the story. In a palate of black,
gray, dirty white, and flashes of sky blue, the art supports the
emotion of the scenes. . . .I really appreciate it both as an
important piece of history and as a very effective picture book
providing youngsters who may know very little about 9/11 with just
the right amount of straightforward information.-- "The Booklist
Reader"
Mr. Rogers is famously quoted that during tragic events, it's
helpful to kids to look for the helpers. This picture book does
just that. It details how after the towers fell, many people needed
to get to safety and boats of every kind raced to Manhattan Island
to rescue as many people as possible. Hope. That's what this book
is about, even during the most dark of times. (The author was one
of the people rescued by a boat!)-- "Imagination Soup"
The narrative provides a grim, age-appropriate recounting of the
Twin Towers's destruction before describing how 500,000 people
escaped Manhattan via the water. . . .Quotations from boat captains
punctuate the story, while a limited color palette contributes to
the somber tone. . . .An author's note details Gassman's personal
water-evacuation story, and a glossary (including victim and
tragedy) rounds out this inspiring tale of how an impromptu
flotilla offered refuge and hope, "a light on the city's darkest
day."-- "Publishers Weekly"
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