After fourteen years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed, much to the delight of the sister cities it connected: Brooklyn and New York City. Fireworks and top hats filled the air in celebration when the magnificent bridge opened in 1883. But some wondered just how much weight the new bridge could hold. Was it truly safe? One man seized the opportunity to show people in Brooklyn, New York and the world that the Brooklyn Bridge was in fact strong enough to hold even the heaviest of passengers. P. T. Barnum, creator of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” would present a show too big for the Big Top and too wondrous to forget. Starred Review. Grade 1-5–This well-researched, handsomely illustrated picture book captures the anticipation and uncertainties of those who witnessed the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Focusing on Phineas T. Barnum of circus fame, who saw in the doubt an opportunity, Prince describes the pachyderm procession up Broadway, past City Hall, and over the bridge to Brooklyn. As viewers' and readers' excitement mounts, the author queries, How many pounds can the wondrous bridge hold? How many elephants are too great a load? After the successful spectacle, skeptics crossed fearlessly, and where did they go? Why, they went to the Big Top, of course! While many picture books have been written about this famous construction, this one is by far the best read-aloud. The sparse, yet powerful text contains both alliteration and occasional rhyme, making it a pleasure for readers and listeners alike. Roca's masterful paintings capture both the spirit of the times and of the expansive bridge, extending beyond the confines of the page to cover almost half of the adjacent one. Not to be confused with Phil Bildner's Twenty-One Elephants (S & S, 2004), which is wordier, more fictionalized, and visually less appealing, this title is ideal for units on local history and bridges. –Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gr. 1-3. "Amazing, worth the waiting, / it was simply breathtaking. / The Eighth Wonder of the World." The Brooklyn Bridge was 14 years in the works, and when it was finally completed, some wondered if it would be safe for passage. This elegant picture book tells the true story of how circus man P. T. Barnum saw an opportunity to "amuse, inform, and astound" while erasing New Yorkers' concerns about the bridge's safety. In May 1884, the world-famous showman led a procession of 21 elephants across the bridge, including the seven-ton Jumbo, as "some onlookers ogled; some giggled with glee." The design is crisp, the story is told with real poetry, and Roca's paintings are rich and warm. Both text and illustrations reflect the grandeur, if not the delightful absurdity, of this historic event. For a lively, more fictionalized account of the event, read Phil Bildner and LeUyen Pham's Twenty-One Elephants (2004). An author's note and short bibliography are appended. Karin Snelson Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "The sparse, yet powerful text contains both alliteration and occasional rhyme, making it a pleasure for readers and listeners alike. Roca's masterful paintings capture both the spirit of the times and of the expansive bridge." ––School Library Journal, starred School Library Journal, Starred "The design is crisp, the story is told with real poetry, and Roca's paintings are rich and warm. Both text and illustrations reflect the grandeur, if not the delightful absurdity, of this historic event." ––Booklist Booklist, ALA "Using a rich palette of glowing golds and browns, Roca imbues the pachyderms with a calm solidity, sending them ambling past equally solid-looking buildings and over a truly monumental bridge-which soars over a striped Big Top tent in the final scene." ––Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews April Jones Prince is a children’s book author and freelance editor. She published Twenty-one Elephants and Still Standing , a story about P. T. Barnum and the Brooklyn Bridge, with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.