Bridges are great metaphors, but they are pretty cool in their own right. Keely selects nine bridges to illustrate different types of construction in different parts of the world, plus a few that give the word “bridge” a deeper meaning. Krampien draws each with a nice eye for detail, rendering them from a perspective that warms and humanizes them (her bird’s-eye view for the opening two-page spread is a winner). There is also a note of whimsy: the Golden Gate Bridge is actually orange (Golden Gate is the name of the strait the bridge spans); a rainbow isn’t actually a bridge but a mist of color. Keely provides a simple introduction to the bridges—this one is covered in wood, that one is made of stone, another is made of light—but she also provides more detail, broadening the book’s audience: “The world’s longest covered bridge is in Canada. It is about as long as 36 school buses—and crosses the Saint John River from Hartford to Somerville, New Brunswick.” Thus a soupçon of geography is added to the mix. In the end, holding hands can form a connection, too, from one to the other. This could be a prime time for corniness, but it is simply handled—and even makes sense. A fine introduction to bridges and the great truth of connectivity. (Informational picture book. 4-8)