Barreling Over Niagara Falls

K-Gr 3—This picture-book biography tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to tumble over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Afraid of becoming destitute and landing in the poorhouse, Taylor came up with the idea of going over the falls as a way to earn fame and fortune, envisioning people paying to hear her speak and see the barrel that made the trip. The writing swings between rhythmic and pedestrian, occasionally offering up fun lines that read aloud well, and then falling back into a more factual, dry recounting of events. Uneven amounts of detail may leave young readers or listeners wondering what a poorhouse is, or why Taylor was so close to poverty, but the specifics about the design of the barrel will answer questions that students always think about in these kinds of adventure stories. While the colorful artwork certainly gives visual adornment to the unfolding drama, it does very little to advance the narrative or enhance the text in any way, the major exception being the illustration of the barrel design, which is enormously helpful for students who may need something extra to picture exactly how Taylor fit in it. Chris Van Allsburg's Queen of the Falls (Houghton Harcourt, 2011) is a much better choice on the same topic.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA