A Book of Bridges

November 28, 2016
Keely makes her children’s book debut with a contemplative exploration of bridges, citing real-life examples, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Peru’s Puente de Piedra, and more metaphorical ones, including the arches created by backbends and rainbows. The straightforward central narrative (“Some bridges join country to country, making a big world seem smaller”) is supplemented by facts and details about the specific bridges that appear in Krampien’s artwork (“The Three Countries Bridge at the borders of France, Germany, and Switzerland only truly connects France to Germany. But Switzerland is only a hop, skip, and a yodel away!”). In her first picture book, Krampien uses a fresh, contemporary cartooning style to create expansive panoramas that showcase the bridges’ sizes and spans, as well the activity of the humans and animals they serve—particularly in the wildlife bridges of Banff National Park, which allow bears, wolves, and other creatures to cross highways safely. Keely’s tender closing example—of the bridge formed through the simple act of holding hands—cements the message of togetherness and connection that bridges (of all kinds) make possible. Ages 5–8.