Galloping Gertie

This compelling nonfiction picture book captures the story of the infamous collapse of the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State.

The story of Galloping Gertie, the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, is captured through the eyes of a young boy who not only watches the bridge being built, but also witnesses its spectacular collapse not long after the bridge is opened. Author Amanda Abler tells the bridge's dramatic story in a factual and engaging way that makes the science behind the collapse approachable to young readers; top-notch illustrations by Levi Hastings add clarity, spark, and drama. In addition to the narrative, the book concludes with a deeper look into why the bridge collapsed and how engineers continue to learn from this infamous engineering failure.

Published by Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books.

  • "Depicting both the linearity of suspension cables and the chaos of fracturing supports, aided by well-integrated onomatopoeia, the art captures the crucial moments of swaying and breaking with remarkable accuracy and pathos."

    —Kirkus Review

  • "Pictures illustrating the science behind the collapse are sure to fascinate budding engineers."

    —Seattle's Child

Bridges and Waves

photo of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge during its collapse.

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, aka “Galloping Gertie,” is shown here rocking violently minutes before her final collapse.
Photo credit: www.bridgemuseum.org

Click on the links below to learn more about Galloping Gertie and other bridges. At the bottom of the page, there are also some experiments you can do to learn more about different types of waves.

Transverse Wave Experiment

MAKE YOUR OWN TRANSVERSE WAVE WITH A SLINKY!

  1. Hold one end of a slinky and someone else hold the other end (or slip the other end securely around a doorknob.)

  2. Slowly back away until the slinky is stretched out loosely between you and your partner.

  3. Quickly jerk your end of the slinky up and then down, causing a wave to travel along the length of the slinky toward your partner. Vary your motion to create larger or smaller waves and faster or slower waves.

  4. Next, see if you can create a standing wave by rhythmically moving the slinky up and down. The slinky should begin to bounce up and down, but the wave will no longer be moving from one end of the slinky to the other. Instead the wave will be “standing” between the two people in the shape of an “S” turned on its side.


Longitudinal Wave Experiment

MAKE YOUR OWN LONGITUDINAL WAVE WITH A SLINKY!

  1. Hold one end of a slinky and have someone else hold the other end.

  2. Slowly back away until the slinky is stretched out loosely between you and your partner.

  3. Lower the slinky until it is resting on the floor. A smooth surface works best.

  4. Quickly push your end of the slinky toward your partner and then pull it quickly back toward yourself. Watch the “squished up” part of the slinky (the wave) as it travels from you to your partner. Vary your motion to create shorter or longer waves and faster or slower waves.