GOLDEN GATE

A child-centered account of the origins of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

The lighthouse keeper’s children wake to a foghorn’s blast. Pa rushes out the door to see the work begin on the new bridge. The children watch, too. Steel and concrete square off against fog, wind, and surf. But the “impossible” challenge of building the world’s longest suspension bridge (at the time) rallies builders. Dynamite and machines reshape the land. The foreman stops by the lighthouse—based on the real-life Lime Point Lighthouse, where lighthouse keepers and their families lived—for coffee and pancakes. During one visit, the children even get to see the bridge’s blueprints. Construction goes on for days, months, even years as the children take in the sights and sounds. The author carefully recounts each step until opening day on May 27, 1937. The whole family wakes early once more to join the celebration as the completed bridge hums with life and excitement. Making playful use of language, Partridge’s immersive, meticulously detailed second-person narration pairs seamlessly with Heck’s intricate, realistic images for a child’s-eye glimpse of the whole thrilling process. Endpapers beautifully mimic the iconic bridge, with close-ups on the reddish-orange steel. The afterword offers essential historical context, including a note about Mohawk ironworkers who helped build the bridge. The family is light-skinned.

A riveting look at an iconic landmark and architectural feat.