Liberty Rising: The Story Of The Statue Of Liberty » (REV)

Pegi Deitz Shea is the author of many books, including Tangled Threads and Ten Mice for Tet, which were both named IRA Notable Books for a Global Society. She resides in Rockville, Connecticut with her family.

Wade Zahares is the illustrator of several books for children, including Window Music, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Wade lives on a small farm in Lyman, Maine among pumpkin patches and flower gardens.

Liberty should shine here on this island, Bartholdi decided, where she can welcome all to America.

The story behind Liberty’s construction and the visionaries who made it happen Liberty Rising

The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom to all. But what is her story? How did she come to be? From conception to construction, each element of the Statue of Liberty has a fascinating story of its own: a face bearing the likeness of the creator’s mother; a hand and a torch traveling alone to America; seventy train cars packed with pieces.

This inspiring and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the visionaries behind the statue and the process by which they carried out the design and building of one of the world’s most important monuments.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Using the concept of building a house or an office building, Shea introduces the size and scale of creating such a large object. Readers meet Edouard de Laboulaye, the law professor who first had the idea of building a monument representing freedom that would be a gift to the people of the United States from the people of France. His early planning with Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi is highlighted. Each step in the process, from small model (four feet high) to full size is told in simple text. The dismantling of the statue, the 214 train cars that transported it to Rouen for the trip across the Atlantic, and its arrival in New York Harbor in 1885 are mentioned. Finally, the unveiling of the statue on October 28, 1886, is highlighted. The book is easy to read, with three-quarter spreads of illustration and single columns of text. The stylized graphic art is fairly realistic with bold colors and unusual angles to create a sense of excitement. They often have a collage effect. They are a trifle busy and sometimes a sense of the scale of the statue gets lost. Two pages of interesting facts appear at the end of the book. This title is more accessible to young readers but much less interesting and captivating than Lynn Curlee's Liberty (S & S, 2000) and Betsy Maestro's The Story of the Statue of Liberty (HarperCollins, 1989).-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.