Pop's Bridge: A Riveting Story About a Father, a Skywalker, and the Golden Gate Bridge for Kids

by Eve Bunting, C.F. Payne (Illustrator)

The Golden Gate Bridge. The impossible bridge, some call it. They say it can't be built.

But Robert's father is building it. He's a skywalker--a brave, high-climbing ironworker. Robert is convinced his pop has the most important job on the crew . . . until a frightening event makes him see that it takes an entire team to accomplish the impossible.

When it was completed in 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was hailed as an international marvel. Eve Bunting's riveting story salutes the ingenuity and courage of every person who helped raise this majestic American icon.
Includes an author's note about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Engineering, Historical, Fiction, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although with Pop's Bridge I have certainly found both Eve Bunting's narrative and C. F. Payne's colourful but nicely realistic accompanying illustrations a both textually and visually interesting and enlightening journey into and through the construction process of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge (from 1933 to 1937), I also do have to personally and with a bit of reading frustration admit that from an emotional point of view, Pop's Bridge has really not all that strongly and engagingly spoken to me. For while I do indeed appreciate the factual information Eve Bunting presents and how proud young narrator Robert is of his father's job, of his father being part of the Golden Gate Bridge construction crew, somehow I do feel and yes a bit annoyingly so, more like a dispassionate observer looking in than in any manner an active and emotionally invested participant in the storyline itself, with even the fact that there are a number of fatalities during that terrible accident (when the safety nets give way) failing to all that much move me (except perhaps to complain that I personally do feel a bit offended that even though something like ten workers lost their lives, Robert only seems to really care about the safety of his and his friend Charlie's fathers, which I do think kind of triviliases the accident to a certain extent).

Three and a half stars for Pop's Bridge, and if I were to only consider Eve Bunting's text and C.E. Payne's accompanying artwork I would more than likely consider rounding up to four stars (since even with my criticisms of Eve Bunting's narrative, I have indeed much enjoyed my reading time and the historic details learned). However, I have now decided to definitely round my star ranking down to three stars maximum, as I am more than somewhat academically annoyed and disappointed that Eve Bunting has not provided either a detailed timeline (for the specific construction phases of the Golden Gate Bridge) or a bibliography with suggestions for further reading in her otherwise so excellent and informative author's note. And furthermore (and yes, this has certainly and in fact bothered me rather overmuch), I also do tend find the book title of Pop's Bridge quite problematically presumptive and even arrogant, because while Robert’s father is of course a labourer helping to construct San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, he is obviously and absolutely NOT the only worker employed, and thus I for one do consider the title a bit full of itself, a bit too one-sided, as though no one but our young narrator's father seems to count here.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story based on the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. The family in the story is fictional though based on the real families of that time. The little boy is so proud of his father for being a steelworker on the bridge; the boy thinks this is the best job of them all! But his best friend's father is a painter, a very important job, too (though our protagonist doesn't want to recognize that.) When, one day, an accident happens on the bridge, the boy realized that all the men working on the bridge are equally important, taking risks to build a marvel.

I like the idea behind the story and think it's a very interesting one. I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge many times and even walked across it. It is definitely marvelous! For some reason, though, this book just didn't really bring all of that to life in the way I would have hoped and I failed to really become emotionally involved in the story being told. I did like that the boy's friend is Chinese-American as that is definitely an important component of San Francisco, then and now. And the ending is nice, a sweet idea though a bit contrived.

I would recommend this fans of San Francisco or bridges, but I'm not sure the story and illustrations are strong enough to have a universal appeal.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t as touched by this story as I thought I’d be, and while I stayed interested, I didn’t learn anything new from this historical fiction story, and I’d assumed I would. But, I did like this book, and I think it has appeal for those interested in the Golden Gate Bridge, particularly its construction, bridge construction in general, and especially those interested in father and son stories.

I liked the paintings, particularly those of the bridge, but of the people also.

I appreciated how Robert is so proud of his father and also how he decides that his friend Charlie’s dad has just as important role as his own father’s. Their fathers are two of the more than 1,000 men who built the bridge. The story covers a real life accident that happened toward the end of the project.

I love how the kids work on a jigsaw puzzle of the bridge as it’s envisioned at the same time as their fathers work on the actual bridge. And I was moved by the fate of that last puzzle piece.

The illustration of Robert and his parents and Charlie and his father, celebrating after the bridge’s completion, touched me more than anything else in the book. I realized that maybe Charlie did not have a mother and his father had just participated in a very dangerous endeavor, a project where other men lost their lives.

I just wish that there had been a bit more to the story and a lot more background about the actual bridge. There is an author’s note at the end that for me did add something important to the book, but even there I wish that there had been more, and perhaps also additional different information.

The bridge was completed in April 1937. My mother was living in the city then and she was 21 years old, and I wonder if she got to walk across it on its first day.

I’m thrilled to have another book to add to my san-francisco shelf.

3-1/2 stars

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pop's Bridge by Eve Buntnmg, illustrated by C. F. Payne is an historical fiction picturebook look at the building of the Golden Gate Bridge through the eyes of young Robert whose father is a skywalker, one of the brave, high-climbing ironworkers. Robert's Pop is building it, and Robert is convinced that his pop has the most important job on the crew.

Bunting tells this tale, based on real families, from the focus of Robert. Even though Robert's father gives equal credit to the bridge painters, Robert is convinced the steelworkers are the most important.
An awful accident makes him realize that equal work and equal danger exist for all bridge workers. The two fathers are given half pieces of the final puzzle piece of the Golden Gate Bridge to complete the puzzle together, celebrating the completion of the bridge. The inclusion of a Chinese American worker in the story is an important historical detail. An author's note about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge gives added context to the story.

Payne's illustrations created in mixed media are beautiful, especially the panoramic shots of the bridge, and of the people of San Francisco.

As someone who loves the city of San Francisco, I enjoyed the story, but agree with some other reviewers that there is less of an emotional connection than there could have been, and that the ending is slightly contrived. More details of the relationship between Robert and his father might have helped.

This could be useful in schools with units about bridges, bridge building, California and San Francisco.

For ages 8 to 13, bridge building, San Francisco, historical fiction, courage, team work themes, and fans of Eve Bunting and C. F. Payne.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was not so much about the mechanics of building the bridge than it was about two boys being proud of their fathers for building the bridge. So if you want a story, this is okay; if you're looking for history or the mechanics, you will need to turn elsewhere.

Ages: 4 - 8

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[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place from 1933 to 1937, and describes the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, the "impossible" bridge that links San Francisco with Marin County, California. Robert and Charlie are friends whose fathers are working on the bridge, Robert's father as a "skywalker," or one who works with the iron high up, and Charlie's as a painter. Robert thinks his father is more important than Charlie's in the construction of the bridge, until an accident makes him see differently. I liked the fact that Robert is white and Charlie is Asian, reflecting the multicultural effort of building the bridge. C.F. Payne's illustrations are wonderfully realistic, though he tends to emphasize noses and ears in his depictions of people. A note at the end of the book reveals more about how the bridge was built. This story is probably old news to anyone who lives in California, but I didn't know it until I read this book. Another fine effort from Bunting, and highly recommended!

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
Eve Bunting writes an uplifting, historical story about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. A young boy named Robert, tells the story with pride, as his father IS building the bridge...having the MOST important job on the crew! "[His father:] is a skywalker-a brave, high-climbing ironworker." Although his friend, Charlie's father works on the bridge as well, Robert seems to feel his father's job is superior. As the structure continues to take shape, readers experience the excitement, danger, and celebration this bridge brings to Robert, his family, friends, and the city of San Francisco. Appropriate for readers of all ages, this story tells of hopefulness, determination and pride!

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This is a very nice fictionalized book about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. I thought it was interesting and informative an truthful! One could use this book as a Non-Fiction (the bridge building information is truthful) or just a nice story. Why I can't give it 4 stars...I don't like the pictures. The over-sized, head ears and teeth, and regular sized bodies makes the people looked deformed and like freaks. So That is really my other complaint!

[Alexandra Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pop's Bridge is written from the perspective a young child who's father was among the men working on the Golden Gate Bridge. The child and another young boy watch their fathers everyday through binoculars as they work on the bridge. The two boys work together to build a puzzle replica of the bridge but fight over who's father gets to put in the last piece. One father is a sky walker, someone who physically puts the bridge together, and the other father is a painter of the bridge. The son of the sky walker believes his father has the most important job. However, the child soon learns the importance of every worker when an accident causes some painters to fall off the bridge and into the water below. The boy realizes that every job is dangerous and is a part of creating the whole bridge.

The proud tone of the story helps create an ego-like sound from the child. He believes no one is as important as his father. However, the details and images of the accident changes the child's perspective. The illustrations in the story helps to convey a similar distance the two boys have from their father, showing that both father is on the bridge working and they are at an equal height. Although this is a fictional story, the details teach readers about the history of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. After reading this story, I have a better understanding of the effort that went into creating the bridge. I enjoyed the story and plan to read this to my future classroom as a way to teach students about hard work and perseverance.

[Bobby Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of this book is historical fiction and it for ages 5-8 which is roughly from Kindergarten to 3rd grade. The book is about the construction of the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge. It's following 2 young boys whose fathers are a part of the construction. I give this book 4 stars because I think it could be a little more detailed about the 2 little boys. The pictures are good, you can read the story and look at the pictures to get a visual of where the story it at. It goes pays attention to the 2 fathers that are part of the construction and how the boys follow go to see them at work, from a distance day after day. I don’t know if this book would be appealing to young readers, especially at the age group its stated to be for, at least for the Kindergarten and 1st grade. I think you would have better luck and the kids would as more question for 2nd and 3rd graders. I love how there is some information about Golden Gate bridge and how it came about being constructed at the end of the story because as your reading, you become more and more interested in the Gold Gate Bridge.

[Rachel Boruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pop’s Bridge is a cute story about a young boy named Robert that finds pride in his father’s work. His father is one of the men who are working on building the Golden Gate Bridge. The boy’s friend named Charlie has a father who is painting the bridge. Robert is convinced that somehow his father’s work is better than that of Charlie’s father. The boys are given a puzzle from Robert’s mom that contains a picture of the bridge. Robert then snags a piece so that his father can finish building the bridge. Then, an accident occurs and some of the men fall with part of the bridge into the water. After panicking, the boys find their fathers with the binoculars. Realizing the dangers of all jobs, Robert understands the equality between positions. When the bridge is finished, Robert and Charlie’s fathers put in half of the puzzle piece. This book is historically accurate and conveys a deeper meaning of equality between jobs. This is a book that I would want to use in the classroom to show that we all play an important role.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pop's Bridge is a story about two boys named Robert and Charlie. Not only are they friends, but their dads work together, too. They have a very important job: to build the Golden Gate Bridge. Robert believe his pop has the most important job to do on the bridge. He is a high-iron man or a skywalker, while Charlie's dad is a painter. One day, as the boys watch the bridge construction, a terrible accident happens and twelve men plummet into the water below. Robert then thinks about how this could have happened to his or Charlie's dad. He realizes that he was wrong in the beginning. The job is dangerous for all workers, and each role is equally important.

I think this would be a good book to read at the beginning of an engineering unit. Robert, the young boy in the story, believes that his father's role in building the Golden Gate Bridge is the most important. By the end of the story, Robert realizes that building a bridge is a team effort. Students will learn that there are multiple responsibilities when it comes to engineering, and that projects cannot be done individually. 

[Sophia Igarta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a child's perspective of the Golden Gate bridge, the book follows Robert who glorifies his dad's role in building the Golden Gate Bridge. Slowly, Robert becomes more open-minded and realizes the value of all of the workers on the bridge, not just his dad. This growth to open-mindedness is important to include in children's books so children can understand that its ok if they were wrong. After reading this book, I would have students reflect on a time their mind was changed and how they go to that point. Did someone help you change it? Did an experience change your mind? How do you feel about your original mindset now?
The illustrations in this book are realistic, like many other books in this category. However, this book uses vignettes several times to show how Robert is looking through the binoculars. This is an interesting use of vignettes as it gives the feeling of looking through a small device without making the illustration exactly what Robert was looking at.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so fond of this book...I've read it many times, to myself and aloud to different groups of kids. Last week I read it aloud to a group of nine to twelve-year-olds that were attending the "Bridges" STEM camp that I was facilitating, and it delighted me once again. I love the Golden Gate Bridge. I never saw it or drove over it until about 15 years ago when I went to visit a dear friend in Marin County, California. Since that first visit there have been at least two visits a year, and we always drive at least one back-and-forth trip over "my" bridge. My friend's mom was one of the thousands of people who walked across the span on opening day in 1937. She's told me the story several times. This is a wonderful book of two friends and the dads who built the Golden Gate Bridge.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert and Charlie love to watch the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Robert's dad is a skywalker, sometimes working up in the clouds to build this dream bridge. Charlie's dad is a painter. It is tempting for Robert to see his own father as having a more important role in the project. Then one day there is an accident and two workers lose their lives in the bay. That is when Robert understands that all of the bridge workers are taking risks and working together to accomplish a very important goal for their community. Includes some fascinating facts about the bridge including the fact that it was completed on time and under budget. There was one million dollars left over when the bridge was finished. Now that's a cause for celebration!

[Brianna Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good historical fiction book about the golden gate bridge in san francisco when it was being built. It would be a great book for children who are interested in history or with things being built like bridges. The story is in the perspective of a little boy who is amazed and proud of his father working on building the golden gate bridge which is meant to be this amazing new structure in San Francisco in this time period. There is also factual parts about this book about how the bridge was built, the danger that occured, and how excited everyone around was when it was completed.

[Alix Kopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright Date: 2006
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Construction, Golden Gate Bridge, Father-Son Relationship, Hard Work
My favorite part is when the son looks for his father through the binoculars. He says he can always find him because of his red handkerchief around his neck. I think it is sweet how proud he is of his dad. I will use this book in my classroom to inform my students about the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a fun fictional story to read and it is suspenseful which keeps the readers engaged.

[Trevor Bouma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book about a boy whose dad is a worker on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bridge was built in 1937 and they said it was impossible to build because the bay is so deep and wide and foggy. Robert's dad was a skywalker who worked very high up on the bridge. This book has a lot of history about building the bridge. It is also about teamwork because a lot of people worked together to build the bridge. This book has a really nice story and some really good pictures, too! It was amazing!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love Eve Bunting. She can take any historical event or societal issue and bring to an understandable, personal level. This book tells the story of the Golden Gate Bridge from the perspective of a child, a proud child! It is personal, and sweet, and informative. Ms Bunting’s characters always learn an important lesson about life, and learn something about the world at the same time.

‘Notice and Note’ fans, watch for that A-Ha! Moment.

[Magdalena Scotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved how the main character first began thinking that his father's job was more important than his friend's dad because his dad was a skywalker, while his friends dad was only a "painter." I liked that the character grows by the end of the book to show that his friends fathers' job is just as important as his father. Great book to read with a young one when discussing the importance of all people. My only question is why did the illistrator make their ears so big?

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it had a good central lesson that no the job you have, it is still of high importance. To build something so spectacular as the Golden Gate Bridge, it takes lots of men all working together. This would be a good book when talking about team work and how important each persons job is.

Traits: Voice, Ideas
ATOS: 3.4
AD630L

[Kiki Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a student in my practicum class and thought it was a great book. It's educational and entertaining and the illustrations were awesome. I would definitely have this book in my future classroom so that my students could learn about the stories of people and things that came before them.

[Alysha Bernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about a kid watching his dad be a skywalker building the Golden Gate bridge, thinks his dad has the most dangerous job, but when two other workers die, he realizes all the workers risk their lives everyday. Good story to show that danger is shared by many and things are not always as they seem.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfection. The characters are vibrant, the illustrations wonderful, and the ending more than satisfactory. This is a fabulous historical fiction piece, and paired with "This Bridge Will Not Be Gray," would constitute an excellent unit on the Golden Gate Bridge. Highly recommended.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The building of the Golden Gate Bridge thru the eyes of a boy whose father is a skywalker and whose friend's father is a painter on the bridge.

A lot of higher level vocabulary dealing with the bridge.

[Brooke Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a lot of teamwork in this book! -Aven
The boy learned a life lesson. -Jackson and Brooklyn
This book is a little bit sad and a little bit happy. - Kendyl and Carter
The boy learns that everybody that is in one project is important. -Olivia

[Sarah Howlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trait: Sentence Fluency, Voice
ATOS: 3.4
Lexile: 630L

A book through the eyes of a son whose father is a construction worker for the Golden Gate Bridge. This book has amazing pictures and gives great description of how the bridge was built.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert learns to temper his pride in his father's work with recognition of the contributions of others, especially his friend Charlie's dad. Paired with expressive portraits by caricaturist C.F. Payne.

[David Cano]

Pops Bridge is a touching story with a very relatable family. The little boy is extremely proud of his dad and his role in building the Golden Gate Bridge. This book as well as touching is also very imformative.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who lives near or who has stepped foot near the Golden Gate Bridge should treat themselves to the history and emotion of this book! ASAP. (I cried a little.)