Story of the Statue of Liberty by Betsy Maestro, Giulio Maestro (Illustrator), Giulio Maestro (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

"Written for the youngest audience...the text is very simple yet manages to convey all the major events in Liberty's creation....The full-color watercolors show amazing detail and are extremely rich."—Horn Book.

Publishers Weekly

The Maestros have created an ideal picture book history of one of the most beloved monuments in America. Ages 3-up. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3 At last, an outstanding picture book on the Statue of Liberty. Although Maestro simplifies the storyincluding only the most important people's names, for exampleshe still presents an accurate account of what happened. The exceptional drawings are visually delightfulprimarily in the blue-green range, although they are in full colorand cover most of every page. Human figuresworkers, touristsare included in many drawings, indicating the statue's tremendous scale. Further, the drawings involve viewers through the use of unusual perspectives and angles and by placing the statue in scenes of city life. One depicts Bartholdi sketching the statue in the foreground as he gazes at its future site on Bedloe's Island. Another is of cranes and cables supporting laborers as they put Lady Liberty's immense cloak in place over her steel frame. This title totally eclipses the previous picture book on the same subject, Nason's Our Statue of Liberty (Modern Curriculum, 1969). A section, ``Additional Information about the Statue. . . ,'' includes excellent lists of dimensions, important people who helped with construction, repairs from 1980-86, a table of dates and Emma Lazarus' poem as well as other interesting facts. There is no index, but the facts section makes this book nearly as useful to middle-grade readers doing research as many of the other new titles on this topic. It still could be complemented by Mary J. Shapiro's How They Built the Statue of Liberty (Random, 1985), with Huck Scarry's remarkable drawings. A striking book. Deborah Vose, Brooklyn Friends School Library

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