Everyone loves the Arch, right? But kids especially seem curious about the monument, now there’s a book to help them understand it:
Take the children in your life on their own journey of discovery: tag along with Ella, her impatient little brother Jake, and their Grandpa as they explore the outside, inside, and very, very top of the Gateway Arch, on the Mississippi riverfront in St. Louis, Missouri. While Jake just wants to get to the top as fast as possible, Ella is intent on impressing Grandpa with everything she has learned about the landmark and its history. Together, the family discovers fascinating artifacts-a bison, a great grizzly bear, a tall statue of Thomas Jefferson-while Grandpa spins tales of his own memories, as a young man, of watching the Arch being built. More than just an architectural feat, the Arch embodies the history, culture, and spirit of westward expansion, exploration, and individual dignity. Don’t worry, they ?nally make it to the top . . . and what Jake wants then will resonate with your own young explorers! Amanda E. Doyle is an ardent St. Louis transplant, writes about the city for visitors and locals, and spends lots of time looking up with her own intrepid family. She is the author of the popular St. Louis title “Finally, a Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis, by and for St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood.” (Reedy Press)
The book doesn’t address the 40 city blocks that were cleared to make room for a monument before a competition was even held. That’s best left for a different book I suppose. This hardcover book is $16.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the final piece of the Arch going into place in 1965.
— Steve Patterson