Bronx Children's Museum Launches "Lowdown on the High Bridge"

The Bronx Children's Museum launched its first children's book, The Lowdown on the High Bridge, on Monday, June 1st, at P.S. 11 in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. The event included speeches from prominent figures such as Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Councilmember Vanessa Gibson, NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Pena-Mora, and NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mitchell Silver.

The highlight of the event was a reading of the book by author Sonia Manzano ("Maria" of Sesame Street), who wrote the book as a gift to the children of the Bronx. A passport from the past into the future, The Lowdown on the High Bridge sheds light on the community's namesake, the Bridge itself, and the Bronx neighborhood also called Highbridge located on a steep hill in the South Bronx.

Sixty children from P.S. 11, Sacred Heart School, and the Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School attended the event and were among the first students to receive their free copy of the Museum's book. Over 3,000 children from Highbridge will receive their free copies of The Lowdown on the High Bridge before the end of the school year.

The book launch coincided with a countdown to the final days before the opening of the historic High Bridge, New York City's oldest standing bridge, set to reopen as a pedestrian bridge next week after a forty year closure.

Sonia Manzano reads from her new book, published by the Bronx Children's Museum, The Lowdown on the High Bridge. The book is being given in June to children in Highbridge as a gift from Sonia Manzano and the Bronx Children's Museum. Photo credit: Maria Estevez.

Students from Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School kick-off the High Bridge Opening Day Countdown with BCM Program Manager Nicole Wallace, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Miriam D. Tabb of Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner's office, Sonia Manzano, Zhay Owens-Smith, Art Director for The Lowdown on the High Bridge, Bronx Children's Museum Executive Director Carla Precht, and NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Pena-Mora. Photo credit: Maria Estevez.