Cover Image: How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower

How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower

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This book is long, but a decent look at what it took the Eiffel Tower to become a heart at the center of the Paris people.

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With that title, we're going to expect this to be a tale of engineering, of some disaster that threatened the physical structure and the ways that scientific knowledge allowed people to shore up the building. Instead, we get a tale of social engineering. This is really more about history and people than it is about science. It's a tale of the plan to tear down the Tower and how Eiffel used scientific exploration to make in indispensable. There's some subtle messaging here about what the public values and how you can twist that to suit your purposes. For the average young reader, though, this is primarily an unknown story in the history of a well known structure. Well illustrated and economical with text.

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This was an interesting book. I knew the Eiffel Tower had been built for the world fair but I did not realize that the people of France actually didn't like it in the beginning. The book does a very good job of explaining the time period and what science at the time could and could not accomplish. The illustrations did an excellent job of telling the story instead of detracting from it. This is a great book to add to any library collection, or for anyone who has a love for France and its Iconic Eiffel Tower.

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Trés magnifique! Five stars. If we could give this book more, we would! Here is an amazing history book for children (and grownups too). You may have heard how the Eiffel Tower was built for a World's Fair exposition. You may have heard that there was some dissension among Parisians over keeping the tower up permanently. Originally, it was supposed to stay up only twenty years. Many thought it was an eyesore. But it's still there today!

Learn about all the scientific and military uses of the Tower. Learn how its creator (who also designed the inner structure of The Statue of Liberty) worked hard to convince his countrymen of the tower's usefulness. The winsome, engaging text is accompanied by equally winsome illustrations. This one's a keeper!

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This is a very informative children's book, which is full of fun and interesting facts about the Eiffel tower in Paris, such as who designed it, who built it, and why it was built. A man called Gustave Eiffel designed it along with some other people, and then it was built for the World's Fair of 1889. It was built of metal, and the people of Paris did not like it very much to begin with, as they thought it looked strange. The tower was only meant to be in place for twenty years, but the people came to love it, and they decided to keep it. It was used for all different types of purposes, such as science experiments, radio and forecasting weather, and it brought in a lot of tourists, and therefore, a lot of money for the French people.

The book itself has lovely graphics and a lot of text, which will keep young people busy and engrossed. This is a great book, which I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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I've read a lot of historical nonfiction picture books, and this one is among my very favorites. The pictures are beautiful (I love love love the clothes) and the story is well told and interesting - I didn't know much about the history of the Eiffel Tower before, but this book brought it to life with a series of interesting events.
Note that this is very much a historical narrative rather than a storybook - it doesn't quite have a traditional plot arc or a lot of emotional involvement. But for what it is, it's very well done.

I received a free review copy from NetGalley.

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Of course I know about the iconic Eiffel Tower. People worldwide recognize it. But until reading this delightful picture book, I didn't realize how many people hated it initially and how the tower was nearly taken down after the 1889 World's Fair. I also didn't realize how much Gustave Eiffel contributed to science. A picture book that will fascinate readers of all ages and will tie in well with STEM lessons.

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I love picture book biographies. They usually tell a story we’ve never heard before, or introduce us to a person we’ve hardly heard of. For example, did you know that the Eiffel Tower was never meant to be a permanent fixture in Paris? I read How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower to my seven-year-old yesterday, and noticed that my husband was listening in. He seemed to enjoy the story as much as my daughter. Earlier in the day, one of my upper teenage sons noticed the book, and he wanted to read it, too.  I would say that this is a book that appeals to all ages!
The Eiffel Tower was built in the 1880s as the entry to the 1889 worlds fair. The government of France told Gustave Eiffel, the creator, that they would allow the tower to stand for 20 years. Parisians were relieved at that, because they did not like the way the tower looked. It was too modern! Mr Eiffel was determined to keep it standing. But what could he do?
Gustave Eiffel tried many different tactics to keep his tower standing. He realised he had to make it important to the people of France, especially to the government of France, or there was no hope. So, he tried making it a weather station. He used it for experiments with air resistance. But what could he do to finally convince everyone that the tower should stay?
Emma Bland Smith has created a great story to describe the Eiffel Tower. How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower is so well written, it’s really fun to read aloud. The one thing I would probably have changed about it, would be to add pronunciations, either at the beginning or end of the book, for the French words sprinkled throughout the story. There is a list of meanings of those words, but no pronunciations. However, that did not detract from the story too much. Those words helped make it fun to read the story. The pictures are beautiful, and paired with the engaging text, this book is a great one.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

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Very interesting and fun facts researched by Emma bland smith about Eiffel tower and the Parisians. Beautiful illustration along with proper descriptions. Eiffel tower, for the astonishment of Parisians watched the tallest structure in the world created by the Gustave Eiffel. Has promised by the maker it was magnificent. The tower was 1000 foot tall marked the entrance for the 1889 world's fair. Millions of people were invited in Paris to see it. The Parisians and officials thought the tower was quiet useless. In 1909, the tower would be torn down and sold for scrap metal, they figured out that it remain for 20 years. The iron lattice work was so modern, Monsieur Eiffel adored the tower when these Parisians hated the building. The 47 artisans and writers thought it was a ridiculous tower and the laughing stock of the world.

Monsieur Eiffel was an engineer who constructed fine bridges in his career. He even built the interior framework for the statue of liberty! Monsieur Eiffel loved the wondrous engineering designed to withstand the greatest winds- it's height and brilliant news style.

When the 1889 fair was opened, people from around the world flocked to climb the stairs, they admired the artistic iron work which was so elegant, from the top they gazed at all of Paris - so breathtaking. People loved the Eiffel tower. When Parisians wanted to still tear the tower down, Monsieur wanted the Parisians to keep the tower. Monsieur had a passion for science. Monsieur Eiffel recorded temperatures, wind and air pressure 900 feet in the sky. The ground breaking data gave more accurate weather predictions. to the scientists. Monsieur Eiffel turned his tower into an aviation and aerodynamic laboratory for the scientists to study the science of flight. I found this book to be informative for children from Grade 4 to 12 even above. For those who are travelling to visit Paris, the illustrations and the facts can definitely be helpful. Now I know the science behind the Eiffel Tower.

I just reviewed the book: How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower by Emma Bland Smith, Thanks to Publisher Capstone Editions and Netgalley for an advance copy for my review.

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What a cool and uniquely illustrated children's nonfiction book packed with awesome scientific and historical information!
Written by Emma Bland Smith and illustrated by Lia Vision, "How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower" details how exactly the Eiffel Tower was effectively saved and not torn down due to the scientific additions added to the building by Gustave Eiffel.

Each page has beautifully illustrations of the Eiffel Tower's construction during the late 1800s and the reaction of the general public and officials at the time. The clothes, buildings, structures, and environment displayed wonderful detail and the text was readable (though, at times a bit small) throughout.

I had not realized how many scientific applications there were re: the Eiffel Tower, from weather measurements, to aerodynamics, even wireless radio transmission! I also did not realize there were restaurants and an apartment at the tower as well in which it's creator, Gustave Eiffel, lived in until passing away at 91 years of age.

At the back of the book, there are many features: an epilogue, French glossary, interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower, a Timeline, and author/illustrator biographies. (There's even a cat on the back cover - how purr-fect!)

I would definitely recommend this book to young readers as I thought it was trés fantastique! Perfect for young readers aged 8-10.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this advanced readers copy.

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This is a fantastic and highly engaging story on the history of the Eiffel Tower. The illustrators are gorgeous and help support the writing for struggling readers. A great book to introduce many different concepts; non-fictions, inventors, problem/solution, SEL, etc. A must have in a classroom library.

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This picture book biography narrates a part of the history of the Eifel tower that we don't hear about often. Besides the scientific aspect of the book, the story has a strong message of social-emotional learning: never give up on your idea, even though many hates it. And, think of all ways, as Eiffel did to save the tower. Brilliant book

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What a fascinating story about how the Eiffel Tower came to stay! Readers will love how Mr Eiffel tried different ways to get the people to agree to keeping it, and how it was very useful. Interesting, intriguing, engaging.

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What a fantastic and true story! As a lover of Paris and the Eiffel Tower it was such an interesting history refresh and I had no clue how brilliant Gustave Eiffel himself was - as an engineer myself he is so so so inspiring.

The story was easy to read and I think would be fun, educational and inspiring for young kids and adults alike, and the illustrations were fantastic!

My little one is too young to understand the story yet but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy to have forever.

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Beautifully illustrated! This engaging nonfiction picture book is a must read for kids of all ages. It will appeal to a variety of readers. I will definitely be adding this book to my list of choices for #classroombookaday!

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My daughter (5) found the story of the Eiffel Tower being built extremely interesting and she loved the style of the illustrations. I thought the little French - English translations at the end were great, my daughter really enjoyed learning a few words along with the history.

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I learned so much from this book. I never knew that Parisians did not want the Eiffel Tower as a staple in their city. This book teaches the lesson to never give up even when everything seems against you. The illustrations and the inclusion of some French words made this an enjoyable read.

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As Eiffel tower was built for the World’s Fair of 1889 Parisians didn’t like the metal asparagus that looked out of place among elegant stone buildings. It was agreed that the tower would remain for twenty years. This way attracting tourists and bringing money for the city. After twenty years, it would be torn down and sold for scrap metal.

Some protested that this ridiculous tower would make Paris the laughingstock of the world. But when the tower was finished, people loved it. Was it enough to save it from tearing it down? No. So Gustave Eiffel had more work to do to convince the officials.

He was passionate about science and worked on different projects, making new discoveries in weather prediction, aerodynamics, and wireless radio. Was it enough to save the tower this time?

My eight-year-old nephew recently got fascinated with the Eiffel Tower. I’m happy to inform that he was engaged from the beginning to the end, and loved the illustrations as much as I did.

At the end, there are more interesting facts listed about the Eiffel Tower and Timeline for Gustave Eiffel. The story is interesting and very well-presented.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This was such an enjoyable and informative read- I'll admit I truly did not know most of the information that I learned from reading this and that's TRES MAGNIFIQUE! Eiffel persisted in the face of adversity and negativity to build his famous tower AND keep engineering ways to make sure it wasn't torn down.

It's always interesting to see how society has changed, and how it has evolved. There were so many amazing experiments and successes that came from the pushback Eiffel received for this project, let alone aiding the military with intercepting an enemy message during World War I.

Cheerful illustrations as well!

Books such as this are utterly important in emphasizing that Science is FREAKING AMAZING! We need more of these!!! Would recommend for a classroom setting (especially a language arts class as there is a helpful glossary of the French words used throughout the story), I think it'll be a fun and educational addition!

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What an informative, delightful book complete with colorful, ingenious illustrations by Lia Visirin! The storyline takes us through planning, construction, and politics of the project. Even when the public clearly wanted the tower to remain, politicians were obstructive. So M. Eiffel began thinking outside the box and came up with several beneficial projects to incorporate into the tower. As you know, the politicians lost and we all continue to win due to the ingenuity of M. Eiffel! A wonderful book to give and to share.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Capstone/Capstone Editions via NetGalley. Thank you!

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