THE BOOKWORM
“Lady Liberty: A Biography”
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
c.2008, Candlewick Press • $17.99 / $20.00 Canada •
40 pages
What do
you like best about summer?
Being out
of school, right? Riding your bike
or playing in the park? Picking up a few dollars by doing extra chores?
Vacation with your family?
And
Fourth of July celebrations!
Who doesn’t
love the bang-pop of firecrackers? Who hasn’t written his or her name in the
air with a sparkler?
When you
think of the Fourth of July you think of firecrackers, but other things might
come to mind, too. In the new book “Lady Liberty: A Biography” by Doreen
Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares, you’ll learn about one of the largest
and best-loved symbols of America.
Imagine
that you lived somewhere in Europe, but you and your family needed to leave
quickly because of danger. You packed everything you could in one suitcase or
trunk and you headed for America.
On your way across the Atlantic Ocean, you knew you were safe when you
saw the Statue of Liberty. Maybe, when you saw Lady Liberty, you might have
wondered why anyone would build such a huge statue.
The truth
is, Lady Liberty was a gift.
On
America’s 100th birthday, French professor Edouard de Laboulaye suggested to
his friends that France should give the U.S. a gift. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi thought it was a wonderful idea,
and he made a small clay model of the dream that he and Laboulaye had together.
The
statue would be massive and magnificent, but not easy to make. The workers had to measure and measure
again to make sure the pieces of the Lady would fit together. The man who built
the Eiffel Tower helped make the Lady’s body. Everyone in France was excited.
But in
America – where money had to be raised for the base of the statue -
people weren’t quite so excited. Outraged, newspaperman Joseph Pulitzer asked
for donations from anyone who could spare a penny, and plenty of people sent
money. One girl from New Jersey sent her chickens to be sold on behalf of the
statue.
And on an
October day almost 122 years ago, the Lady was unveiled. You can still see her
and you can visit her, all because of a very special birthday present from some
friends across the ocean.
There’s
no doubt about it, kids love fireworks. And I think they’ll love this book even
more.
“Lady
Liberty: A Biography” is different, in that author Doreen Rappaport tells the
story of the Statue in many voices. I really liked that twist in a children’s
book; kids will learn that everyday people can make a difference, and without
them, the Lady might not be here.
Add in
colorful, lively drawings by Matt Tavares, stats about the statue, further
sources, a website you can visit, and a heartfelt afternote by the author, and
you’ve got a book that won’t sit on the shelf much.
While
this book seems to be more for middle-schoolers, I think a group of 5- to
7-year-olds will love this as a read-aloud. For them, and for all kids, “Lady Liberty: A Biography” is
sparkling entertainment.