Building Skyscrapers

What is a punk? a) the coated stick you use to light fire crackers, b) Sid Vicious, or c) a new ironworker. All are correct, actually, although only "c" is mentioned on Building Skyscrapers, a from-the-ground-up overview of skyscraper construction filmed in New York. Although the program gets off to a slow start with repeated explosions (I--and a lot of kids--have seen too many $60 million Hollywood action films to be wowed by watching a building fall over and over), the pace picks up once the dust settles, and construction manager David takes a young lad named Jeffrey on a guided tour. Children will see how the foundation is laid, the (careful) placement of structural beams weighing some 20,000 pounds, workers gracefully walking around on the mere outline of a building (50 stories up in the air), and a finishing-off party replete with a flying American flag. It's a fun trip, featuring real male and female construction workers creating something so much larger than human scale that it boggles the mind. Recommended. Ages 4-9. (R. Pitman)