Queen of the Falls

by Chris Van Allsburg

She could remember standing in a park near the falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, and holding her father’s hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer. That’s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage let them get to it?

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before—she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Come meet the Queen of the Falls and witness with your own eyes her daring ride!

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Adventure, Biography Memoir

38 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2011

About the author

Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.

When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.

When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.

There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.

The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.

Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel in 1901 and she lived. The story is rather interesting. Who was Annie?

She was a elderly woman in her 60s who taught at a Charm School in Bay City MI. Her clients had dried up and she had no retirement, so she was looking for a way to make some money. Eventually, she decided on going over the Falls in a barrel to make money. Isn't that strange. She was an innovative woman at that. She designed and made her own barrel and found a publicist to drum up curiosity. She did tell the world she was in her 40s so when people actually saw her, they didn't believe it was her that went over.

She went over the falls alright, but she wasn't able to turn that into the money she had hoped. People would see her and they lost interest when they saw a grandma saying she went over the falls. How sad, right. Since there there have been 8 other people to do the same thing, the last as late as 1995. I simply can't imagine why you would want to do something like that.

The artwork is amazing and beautiful. It is beyond stunning here. I can't believe how talented Chris is.

Nephew was amazed by this longish book. He said, it would be like his Yaya going over the falls and he couldn't believe that. He thought it would be a fun ride. Sure it would(sarcasm). He gave this historical work 4 stars. Hey, that's amazing.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word “daredevil” conjures up different images for different people. Speaking for myself, when I hear it I instantly picture someone like Evel Knievel leaping over cars on a motorcycle. I do not picture sixty-two year old charm school matrons climbing into barrels. The name “Chris Van Allsburg” also conjures up a variety of interesting images. A person might think of his books The Mysteries of Harris Burdick or The Sweetest Fig (or, my personal favorite, The Stranger). And until now, they also would probably not picture sixty-two year old charm school matrons climbing into barrels. Yet now both the word and the author/illustrator have become inextricably linked to one another, and it is all because of a little old lady who died nearly one hundred years ago. For the first time, Chris Van Allsburg has put aside the fantastical for something infinitely more intriguing: Real world history with just a touch of the insane. And it all begins with the first person to ever go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

The facts about the Niagara Falls are well known. “The water drops from a height that is as tall as a seventeen-story building.” Fact of the matter is, you’d have to be nutty to even consider going over such falls. Yet that was the idea that appealed so much to Ms. Annie Edson Taylor. A former charm school teacher, Annie was sixty-two years old and in real need of money. In a flash it came to her: Go over the edge of Niagara Falls in a barrel and reap the rewards that come. Efficient, Annie commissioned the barrel she would travel in, and found folks willing to help her carry out the plan. When the time came, everything went without a hitch and best of all Annie lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately, fame and fortune were not in the cards. Folks weren’t interested in hearing an old woman talk about her death-defying adventure, and on more than one occasion she found her barrel stolen or folks taking credit for her own deed. Ten years later a reporter found her and asked for her story again. Annie confessed that she didn’t become rich like she wanted to, but as she said, “That’s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage let them get to it? Well, sir, you can’t get any closer than I got.”

This is not the first time I have encountered Ms. Taylor’s story. I’m a fan of the podcast Radio Lab, which makes science palatable to English majors like myself. One such podcast told the story of Annie Taylor, and it was a sad tale. So sad, in fact, that when I picked up Queen of the Falls I naturally assumed that Van Allsburg would sweeten, cushion, and otherwise obscure some of the difficulties Annie faced after her fateful trip. To my infinite delight, I found the man to be a sterling author of nonfiction for kids. He doesn’t pad the truth, but at the same time he finds that spark in a true-life story that gives it depth and meaning. On the surface, what could we possibly learn from the depressing reminder of an old woman who did something risky, succeeded, failed to be adequately compensated, and then died poor after all? It all comes down to that interview Annie conducted ten years after her thrilling run. Van Allsburg zeroes in on Ms. Taylor’s words. He gives her the last say in the book and manages to focus Annie’s story not on its subsequent failure, but on the accomplishment that belongs to her alone: She really was the first person to ever go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and to this day she “remains the only woman to have gone over the falls alone.”

I assumed that this book marked a startling departure for Mr. Van Allsburg. As the man behind the gentle surrealism of Jumanji or The Polar Express, a story about a real-life sixty-two year-old stuntwoman sounded like a whole new world. Yet in his Author’s Note at the end, Van Allsburg notes that “When I decided to write about Annie, I believed I was undertaking a project quite different from the fantasies and surreal tales I’d become accustomed to creating. This was not the case. There is something decidedly fantastic and not quite real about Niagara Falls, about Annie’s adventure, and about the stories that can unfold when imagination, determination, and foolhardiness combine to set humans off in pursuit of their goals.”

To the best of my knowledge Chris Van Allsburg has always written his own books. Librarians like myself may think of him primarily as an artist, but it is his storytelling that sets him apart from the pack. In this, his first nonfiction title, the man lays out the story of Annie’s life and adventure in such a way that folks can’t help but get caught up in it. He knows where to break up the action and how much to put in. It’s also interesting to note that for all her age, the author refers to his heroine more often than not as “Annie”. He brings the reader closer to his subject. Were he to refer to her as “Ms. Taylor”, the subliminal message to child readers would be that they were reading about someone like one of their teachers or elders. The subtle difference of substituting her last name for her first brings Annie closer to them. It gives her more dimensions than as a mere elderly daredevil.

I was fascinated by Van Allsburg’s choices of how to present one scene or another too. Picture book illustrators have reinterpreted the lives of famous (and not so famous) people for decades. But Van Allsburg’s take on Annie felt different, and I tried to figure out why this was. There is a moment in this book when a down-on-her-luck Ms. Edison scans The Bay City Bugle for jobs or ideas. On the left-hand page you see her resting her head on her hand, seemingly uninterested. On the right-hand page it’s as if a light bulb has gone on in her brain. Everything about her is electrified and in the midst of her idea she has inadvertently knocked the flower vase on her table over. It’s the “Ah ha!” moment, and feels almost cinematic. And for that scene I found myself wondering if it was almost TOO cinematic for a real world story. After all, Mr. Allsburg is taking the liberty of imagining what Ms. Edison looked like at that time. Fortunately, this feeling passed almost as quickly as it arrived. Well, of course he had to extrapolate what she felt. That’s what artists do. What’s important is that every picture in this book is accounted for in other histories of Annie’s adventure and life. Just because this particular artist is better at capturing images in a realistic way, what makes his book any different from the thousands of other biographical titles out there where folks illustrate the lives of the famous?

For some reason this book felt almost more fantastical than your normal illustrated fare. Maybe it’s the unexpected shock of seeing Mr. Van Allsburg tackle the real world. Under his hand you’d half expect Annie’s barrel to crest the edge of the falls and then float serenely onward and upwards into the sky. To combat this feeling, Van Allsburg pulls out all his writing chops. He ratchets up the tension when Annie is placed in the barrel. Not only do you get to see her barrel itself, but he also includes quite a few interior shots, so that there’s no doubt as to where exactly she is and what she’s feeling at a given moment. The most impressive image in this book, though, comes right after the author has written, “Fred Truesdale had told her the water at the very edge of the falls would be still for a moment. When she felt that, he warned, she must hold on for dear life and pray. Which was exactly what happened next. For a few seconds –one ... two ... three – Annie floated slowly and upright. She could hear the falls roaring, even through her thick oak barrel.” Then the reader turns the page and encounters a sight that makes your heart drop. For two pages, Van Allsburg has dedicated himself to replicating the sheer majesty of the falls, from the top. That sheer drop confronts you, and even as you make out the figure of the barrel a mere two feet from the edge, the text simply reads, “ ‘Oh Lord,’ she whispered, and then she was gone.” Natural, beautiful, you-are-there dramatic tension. It’s the kind of moment you wish every children’s non-fiction picture book contained. It gives respect to what the subject went through. The artist is also no stranger to using black and white as a medium, but lately his books have taken on a sepia tone. This color palette didn’t make a ton of sense when creating books like Probuditi but they certainly fit the bill in a book like Queen of the Falls perfectly! You get the feeling that you’re really seeing turn-of-the-century stills from the life of Annie Edison.

Considering that this is a work of nonfiction, it seems odd to say that the book this reminded me of the most was Shaun Tan’s The Arrival. Yet both books take realistic pictures and use their sepia-toned worlds to inform our own. That said, the book that would probably pair better in terms of subject matter would have to be the Julie Cummins title Women Daredevils: Thrills Chills and Frills (in which Annie does indeed make an appearance). I’ve always loved Van Allsburg’s magical realism fantasies, but this new venture into reality itself is so appealing that I can only hope that he continues in this vein for some time. A book that honors its subject and grants her posthumous dignity.

For ages 4-9.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the fascinating story of Annie Edison Taylor, the sixtyish retired charm school instructor who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel one autumn day in 1901. She was convinced that her stunt would raise enough money to let her retire in comfort, and was undaunted in her determination.



I first encountered Annie in 2016's The Age of Daredevils, and she is indeed quite a character, well deserving of her own book.

As always, Van Allsburg's illustrations are spectacular, particularly the facial expressions.



A loving tribute to American enterprise, the adventurous spirit, and plucky old ladies everywhere.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking three kids to Niagara Falls this summer, so will read many books on it in advance. This one is a rather calm one by the maker of gorgeous art in such books as Polar Express and Jumanji, wild stories, and a little on the fantastical and fearful side. This is about the first woman to go over the falls, in 1901, a former charm school teacher from Bay City, MI. (Van Allsburg was born four years before me in my hometown and his, Grand Rapids, MI!). She only wanted to do it (at age 63, in 1901!) for money, because her money was drying up, eh, but the story is illustrated beautifully and well, falls jumper stories are always pretty interesting, any way you tell them. This was pretty interesting to me, for a few reasons; I'm 61 in 2014, so imagined myself doing it this summer… nah! :)

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had everyone’s attention at read aloud tonight.

[GoldGato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to reading this gorgeously illustrated book, I had never heard of Annie Edson Taylor. She was, in fact, the very first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. She did this incredible feat on her 63rd birthday, in 1901.



Using Taylor as the heroine of his story, Chris Van Allsburg creates detailed charcoal drawings to complete Annie Taylor's life story, from widowhood to celebrity to forgotten "stunter". She was a charm school teacher who yearned for more and thought she could make money and achieve fame by her famous stunt.



Chris Van Allsburg tells the tale superbly, with his art and his words. Yes, this is a children's book, but one which could be a collectible for the drawings alone (and reinforced binding makes it harder for little hands to tear apart). Annie Edson Taylor did not become famous, because people found it hard to believe a senior citizen (in those days) could survive such a fall. Nevertheless, it was a great feat and she will always be the first of the successful Barrel Riders.

Book Season = Autumn (sepia days)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I read this book aloud to a group of 3rd-5th graders. Beforehand, I estimated it would take me about 20 minutes to read this to them. Nope, it took 40 MINUTES! And the kids were with me every step of the way! I wanted a book that would hook the kids with an interesting angle, and I have found that books based on real stories really engage the older students. I started out by showing a real photo of Annie Edson Taylor and asking the kids what impressions they had. I then showed a real photo the actual barrel she went over the falls in. The kids had incredibly inquisitive questions throughout the story and we were able to have some nice discussions about the whole event. We came to the conclusion that if a 63 year old woman did this stunt today she most definitely would have become famous, although we weren't sure about rich! We also decided having a video camera then would have helped her tremendously, since nobody believed that the "grandma" had gone over the falls. As always, Van Allsburg's illustrations captured the era and details of her experience perfectly and incited more questions from the kids. There were also some excellent vocabulary words in the book that the kids were curious to know the definitions of. For a group of students who usually have a hard time staying engaged during a 15 minute read aloud, I was beyond impressed they stayed with for a 40 minute read aloud, which is a true testimony to the power of this book. Thanks, Mr. Van Allsburg!

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather a tragic story about a woman of advanced age who decided to be the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel in order to get rich and famous.

Really. That's it. I was really hoping for some kind of a feminist or ideological angle, but this is a lady who was gutsy enough to build her own barrel and make her adventure happen, then just fizzles out when she doesn't get rich off it. There's no indication that she has any other motivation and though she was a gutsy woman to try the task in the first place, there's no indication that there was any point in any part of the venture except financial desperation.

Ends up being a pretty disheartening read, when it comes down to it. Lovely illustrations, though, in case you had any doubt.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very glad that I decided to read this one. I almost didn't because I didn't know Van Allsburg had written any nonfiction. But it wasn't that long, so I decided to read it.

Beautifully written and illustrated as all his books are. I enjoyed the story more than I anticipated.

Apparently the first person to successfully ride down Niagara Falls was an elderly woman. Of course that would be ignored by the sexist atmosphere of the early 20th century. Even though the story got sad towards the end, Van Allsburg still managed to make it hopeful.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of the Falls is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. Manon Rhéaume breaks the ice and the glass ceiling in this new biography of one of hockey's trailblazing women.

Annie Edson Taylor was an American schoolteacher who, on her 63rd birthday, October 24, 1901, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Her motives were financial but she never made much money from her adventure.

Van Allsburg's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Van Allsburg chronicles Taylor's determination along with public surprise (and disappointment) at such an unglamorous daredevil. Backmatter includes an author’s note, bibliography, and a list of barrel riders. Van Allsburg's sepia-tinted portraits and grainy, closely observed colored-pencil scenes mimic documentary photos rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. In 1901, 62-year-old widow Annie Edson Taylor needed a way to strike it rich, after closing her Michigan charm school. Spying an article about Niagara Falls as a tourist destination, she decides to become a popular attraction too. She commissions a barrel "big enough to hold herself and a large number of pillows," hires a publicist, calls on reporters, and finds a boatman willing to tow her into the river.

All in all, Queen of the Falls is a wonderful biography of a daredevil, who just happens to be a woman.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg tells the triumphed story of Annie Taylor, better known as the Queen of the Falls, and her journey over Niagara Falls in 1901. Annie Taylor, who started off as a charm school teacher, struggled to make ends meet. She realized she needed to make money quickly unless she wanted to end up in a poor house. She decided she would go over Niagara Falls in a barrel to become famous and rich. She builds her barrel and makes the journey to falls to begin her fateful journey over the falls. However, her fame doesn't last long as people do not want to listen to an old woman tell her story. She ends up selling souvenirs in the park to tourists who want to learn about the Queen of the Falls.

Being a history teacher, I was mesmerized by this story. I had no idea that Annie Taylor existed until I read this book. How could anyone make the journey over Niagara Falls in a barrel? Taylor's story was heart stopping as you read it from beginning to end. On the front cover the text is raised, showcasing Taylor's barrel going over the fall. The barrel is raised as well, and you can imagine Taylor in the barrel as you run your fingers over it. If you take off the jacket, there is a stamp of the barrel as well. On the back cover is Taylor waving hello to the tourists who came to watch her go over the fall. The colors of the front and back cover are a dark blue, giving me the depth of the waters at the fall. The opening pages are grey, opening to the grey tinted pictures in the book. The artistry of the pictures lend to the story at each page turn. Taylor looks as if she could walk off the page. Her facial expressions throughout the story are amazing, especially the ones showcasing her going over the falls. Going beyond the pictures, the detail of Taylor's story lends the reader a new hero. I was amazed that an elderly woman would take the risk to carry out her vision. Chris Van Allsburg has no holes in the story and covers her journey in great detail. This story would enhance any history lesson during this time period. Quite an impressive feat to make a historical account entertaining, interesting, lifelike, and mesmerizing.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked Chris Van Allsburg and this is no exception. It's the story of Annie Taylor, the woman who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. It was required reading for my twin 5th graders. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was fun and detailed. A great way to get kids interested in Niagara Falls.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of the Falls is the true story of former charm school teacher, Annie Edson Taylor, who decides that the path to fame and fortune is surviving a trip over Niagra Falls in a barrel. No one expects Annie, a grandmotherly sort, to make it, but her specially-designed barrel does the job and to everyone's amazement, she has only minor injuries after the barrel ride. Annie's plan is to then tour the country speaking about her accomplishment, but no one seems to believe her...

I saw this Chris Van Allsburg book sitting on the check in cart at work and had to read it - I love his work and hadn't seen this title before. He never shies away from what might seem like an unhappy ending, and never talks down to his audience, which is one reason I love his work even as an adult (another reason is his beautiful illustrations). Annie is an unlikely heroine in this story, and I loved that even though audiences at the time were uninterested in her journey, she ends the story on a hopeful note, and the factual information at the very end shows just how brave she was - STILL the only woman to have gone over the Falls in a barrel by herself. And the first! She may not have found fame and fortune in her time, but her name still goes down in the history books as the first PERSON over the Falls! I'm not sure how a juvenile audience will enjoy this story, but as an adult I found it very inspiring.

[Ch13_megan Carlisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of the Falls tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor, a 62 year old charm school teacher who was down on her luck. She dreamed of adventure, fame and fortune but could quite figure out how to achieve them. Then one day she got it! All she needed to do was travel down Niagara Falls in a specially constructed barrel...and live! Will she do it? Will she survive? And if so, will her dreams come true?

Van Allsburg tells the true story of the first woman to go over Niagara falls alone. She is depicted as a bold seeker of fame, eager to never have to worry about her income again. Maybe the story is more complicated than that but Van Allsburg never lets on. As is expected, the illustrations are the highlight of this book. Pencil drawings colored in grey and shades of brown take up large portions of the book. The details of the drawing are amazing, particularly those of Annie trapped in the barrel. With a great deal of text, this book would serve best for 4-7 grades. Students will enjoy the adventure but may feel unsatisfied by the ending.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love shelving books at the two school libraries in which I volunteer. I had earlier looked with a little one for a copy of Van Allsburg's POLAR EXPRESS, and I found this gem. A picture-book biography about a fascinating lady I'd never heard of.

Annie Taylor was old and tired by 1901. She'd tried to make a living from running a charm school and she was about at the end of her luck...she needed something big and...excuse the pun...she needed to make a big splash.

SO she decided to go ove Niagra Falls in a barrel. Never mind that no one had ever done it. She just knew this was her ticket to fame and riches. What a plucky old lady...she researched, she designed her own barrel.

She survived, but the riches and fame never followed. But she was the FIRST. And that's pretty amazing. This, like so many of Van Allsburg's books, would be a fantastic springboard for lots of lessons at all levels in school.

He is such a talent...Love this book

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge Van Allsburg fan but I had missed this gem because we shelve it in juvenile biography, not the elementary room. I found it as I was helping a young patron locate another book. She looked so confused when I pulled it out, so I had to explain to her that there are actually books in the library that librarians have not read. She seemed surprised but somewhat comforted by the fact. I thanked her for leading me to it with her request.

But about the book - naturally, the drawings are exquisite and delightful. My children, who have been raised on digital color, are nonetheless captivated by Van Allsburg's work and seem not to notice that it is monochrome. The story is fascinating, and also sad when we know think of how this good lady has been swept under the rug of history because she was a middle-aged woman when she accomplished her daredevil feat. The story is well-written and easy for my littles to follow. We all enjoyed it.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird book. What an unlikeable protagonist.

Apparently, reading about enclosed spaces and ESPECIALLY enclosed spaces in water freaks me out almost the way some people get freaked out just reading about spiders and rats and stuff like that, which I've never completely understood. I kind of wanted to throw up a little the first time I read this, even though I knew the outcome would be okay. I kept putting myself in the place of Annie, and also in the place of the people opening the barrel, who DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD FIND AN ALIVE LADY OR A BLOODY PULP.

The text is good enough, but I don't have any idea what's making some people tout this as a Newbery contender.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of the first person to go over Niagra Falls ("successfully") in a barrel, Annie Edson Taylor, a 62 year old retired teacher. She did this in a barrel of her own construction. In the back of the book is a picture of her standing next to it, amazing.

I thought the illustrations were wonderful and when I went to the back of the book to read more about the artist, it came as no surprise to find that it is Chris Van Allsburg, the illustrator for both Jumanji and Polar Express, as well as others. His style is amazinly life like. To see more of his work you can go to www.chrisvanallsburg.com

[Amber M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Awards: None
Grade Level: K-2

Queen of the Falls can be used in the class room to encourage the students to learn about Niagara Falls and where it is located. I would make sure to also include Canada in the discussion since Niagara Falls is both in the US and Canada. It is also one of the world’s most amazing natural landmarks. It can lead us into a discussion of other natural landmarks. This story is a focused biography. So I will be sure to explain to the students what this is. For the follow up activity I can have the students pick one significant event in their life and write a focused biography around it.

[Marjorie Ingall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely, really odd. The gorgeously illustrated, mysterious-vibed (of course -- it's Chris Van Allsburg) story of the first woman who successfully went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She was not young or cute or marketable and she had a hard time capitalizing on her achievement.

This isn't the kind of picture book most kids will want to read over and over again ("And then she DIED! FORGOTTEN! THE END!" I paraphrase) -- but it so captures the scary allure of the falls. And I kept thinking about it long after I'd finished it. Perhaps because I am not young or cute or marketable.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Van Allsburg has been a Todd Family favorite for well over 20 years (before "The Polar Express"). This particular book is based on a true story about the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Who knew she was a 60+ year old washed-up charm school teacher who just needed money? Well, now I do.

Van Allsburg's illustrations are what draws me to his books...some don't even have words. I highly recommend any and all of his books to families, kids or young at heart grown-ups.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is about Annie Edson Taylor, a 62-year-old charm school teacher who, seeking fame and fortune after the closing of her school, decides to be the first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. She succeeds in her amazing feat, but unfortunately, does not receive what she wanted. I always love Van Allsburg's illustrations!

[Shaeley Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sixty-two-year-old widow, Annie Taylor, decides she needs to think of a way to strike it rich so she can avoid going to the poor house. Tourism at nearby Niagara Falls is picking up, so she thinks of a way to capitalize on that. She'll ride a barrel over the falls! But can she overcome the obstacles to survive such an incredible feat?

[Karen Arendt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Van Allsburg's illustrations are amazing- so lifelike. The story of Annie Taylor was interesting; it's sad that she hoped to become rich after her stunt by travelling around the country talking about it but did not.

[Emkoshka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love it that that first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was a woman. And in 1901! Annie Taylor had chutzpah and courage that wasn't really captured by this pretty lifeless illustration of her remarkable quest.

[Dorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie is getting older and is wondering how she will live out her last days with a dwindling money supply until she sees the town gather to watch a barrel go over a waterfall in Niagara Falls.. Annie decides maye they would pay to watch a woman in a barrel go over the falls.

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story by Van Allsburg. Would make a great read aloud.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A departure from Van Allsburg's usual stories and the best work he has done in years. A great story about an unusual daredevil.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book of a story that is both remarkable and sad.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised that the black and white images captured the majesty of the falls and the emotions of the characters. Good narrative flow, though this is a bit wordy for a children’s picture book. Still, good information included and told in an engaging way. 4 stars