Mirette on the High Wire is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Published in 1992, the book tells the story of Mirette, a French girl who learns to walk on the tightrope. McCully won the 1993 Caldecott Medal for her illustrations. Plot summary Mirette lives in a boarding house in France. One day her life is changed by a man named Bellini, a famous tightrope walker, who teaches Mirette how to walk on a tightrope. Musical Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, best known for their long-running off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks, created a musical version of the book in 1996. References External links plot&synopsis Past Productions at Goodspeed Musicals Caldecott Medal–winning works 1992 children's books Children's fiction books American picture books