Queen of the Falls

The award-winning author and illustrator of The Polar Express and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick returns, but this time with a work of non-fiction. In Queen of the Falls Chris Van Allsburg tells the true story of Annie Taylor, a feisty 62-year-old woman, who became the first person to cross over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Taylor’s story is one of pluck and ambition but as an older, decidedly non-glamorous woman, she never achieves the fame and fortune that motivated her to undertake such a daring feat, in her lifetime. There is much to discover in Van Allsburg’s sepia tinted, almost photographic illustrations, which complement the story well.