Hale, Christy. Reaching Across the Sky: A Celebration of Bridges. Christy Hale, Illus. Little, Brown / Christy Ottaviano, 05/2026. 41pp. Nonfiction. Trade $19.99. 978-0-316-57547-8. GRADES 1–5. OUTSTANDING.
Following up Hale’s previous book Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building (Lee & Low, 2012), this new entry describes more than 100 bridges around the world and throughout history and how they are built. The text has two areas: one brief sentence per spread in large print is made to be read to an audience, accompanied by brief paragraphs in smaller print defining many of the concepts depicted such as beam and clapper bridges. The ten-page section at the end goes into more detail on the different types of bridges, how they are made, and what they are made of, and includes a glossary and a brief list of other books and websites to read. The cut paper collage art dramatically shows many of the bridges in their natural environments, including mountains, deserts, and bodies of water. The clear and lively text and the illustrations work together perfectly, appealing to a wide age range.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool