Lady Liberty
A Biography
Age 8+
History & The Past: General Interest
"Tributes to the Statue of Liberty abound, but this stands out for its unusual approach and powerful illustrations."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
It begins in 1865 as a romantic idea, but ten years later Édouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady, holding a torch to "enlighten the world." Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, and coppersmiths work together to turn the lady into a monument more than 100 feet tall. Joseph Pulitzer calls on readers to help fund a pedestal, and hundreds send in nickels, dimes, and even roosters for the cause. Doreen Rappaport’s poetic vignettes and Matt Tavares’s magnificent images remind us of the origins of a national symbol — and show that it took a lot of people to make the Lady.
Back matter includes statue dimensions, a time line, an author note, an illustrator note, sources, and suggestions for further reading.
Creators
Doreen Rappaport has written many books for young readers, including an acclaimed trilogy about the African-American experience: NO MORE!, FREE AT LAST!, and NOBODY GONNA TURN ME 'ROUND, all illustrated by Shane W. Evans. She is also the author of MARTIN'S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., illustrated by Bryan Collier. She lives in Copake Falls, New York.
Matt Tavares is the illustrator of IRON HANS: A GRIMMS' FAIRY TALE, retold by Stephen Mitchell; JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, retold by E. Nesbit; and 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. He has also written and illustrated three books inspired by baseball: MUDBALL, OLIVER'S GAME, and ZACHARY'S BALL. Matt Tavares lives in Ogunquit, Maine.
