Liberty Arrives!: How America's Grandest Statue Found Her Home

by Robert Byrd, Robert Byrd (Illustrator)

Overview

A deeply informative and gorgeously illustrated look at the Statue of Liberty, from award-winning nonfiction master Robert Byrd.

America's most iconic national symbol was a gift from France to the United States--provided America raised the money for the pedestal on which it was to stand. Urged on by the publisher Joseph Pulitzer, it was raised, largely with the help of children, in the first example of a crowd sourced fund-raising campaign. This book tells the story of the best gift ever: how it was designed, created, transported, and then finally erected on its pedestal in the entrance to New York Harbor. Readable text is enhanced with illustrations chock-full of historical detail in Bob Byrd's lighthearted, witty style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525554516
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/18/2019
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Robert Byrd is a successful commercial artist and children's book illustrator whose award-winning picture books include Jason and the Argonauts, Electric Ben, and Leonardo: Beautiful Dreamer.

Editorial Reviews

04/22/2019

Byrd tells an informative and visually detailed story about the inception, construction, and transportation of the Statue of Liberty. The text introduces French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, whom a French judge commissioned to create a U.S. monument—as long as the young nation could raise money for the statue’s base. Byrd’s finely lined ink and watercolor illustrations show the incremental and labor-intensive process of building the statue. Laborers are seen hammering copper sheets into wooden molds and riveting “the sheets together like a quilt.” Byrd movingly describes how, when funding for the pedestal came up short, adults and children across America made donations. This moving ode to a monument—and the collaboration that led to her creation—concludes with a portrait-oriented spread showing Lady Liberty gleaming against sunset skies. Back matter features photographs, a timeline, and a discussion of the statue’s symbolism. Ages 6–9. (June)

Publishers Weekly

* “This expansive book is as impressive as its subject.”—The Horn Book, starred review

* “Does not disappoint.”—BCCB, starred review

* “A book worthy of the statue herself.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Byrd tells an informative and visually detailed story . . . [A] moving ode to a monument."—Publishers Weekly

"Excellent art . . . Entertaining and energetic."—Booklist 

"Will have a place on most library shelves."—School Library Journal

“Engaging . . . a natural asset to STEM-themed lessons and to social studies units.”—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

07/01/2019

Gr 1–4—As a national emblem of America's immigrant history, the Statue of Liberty holds a special place in the country's cultural identity. From idea to implementation, Byrd tells the miraculous story of Lady Liberty and how her existence almost didn't happen. Meant to be a gift to the United States for its centennial celebration, she was the brainchild of a French judge and a young sculptor, but it took a full 21 years to make the grand plan a reality. Lengthy text and ink and watercolor illustrations work together to thoroughly describe everything from the early stages of planning to the complicated construction of the actual statue. Byrd's narrative makes clear just how many people, including everyday Americans, were involved in supporting the project's installment. Colorful artwork, many with inset details, make for a visually interesting read with plenty to pore over and discuss. Back matter includes a time line, a diagram of the statue with measurement details, and a helpful bibliography. Short bios include some of the more prominent Americans who were vital to the final construction of the statue. VERDICT While there are a number of titles on this topic, this one offers a unique and valuable perspective and will have a place on most library shelves. Report writers will find this engaging and accessible.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

School Library Journal

★ 2019-04-14
Lady Liberty's arrival almost didn't happen.

Intended as a 100th-birthday gift from France, the statue was the brainchild of a French judge who envisioned a symbol of friendship between the two nations and hired sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi to create it. After choosing its New York Harbor site, he fashioned numerous, ever larger models and chose copper for its light weight. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel devised an "iron skeleton" to support Liberty, and then the completed statue was exhibited in Paris; parts of it had already been shown in the States. A pedestal was designed—with no funds to build it. Nonetheless, Bartholdi had the statue's pieces shipped in crates to America nine years after the centennial. Finally, Joseph Pulitzer successfully encouraged Americans to donate; Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus" was initially written as a fundraiser. In a crowded field, Byrd's signature narrative and artistic styles elevate this effort. Pages with type set in newspaperlike double columns feature outsized, capitalized headlines and datelines denoting years and places. Spreads include masterly ink-and-watercolor illustrations with details that invite readers to pore over artwork. The author's awestruck writing, featuring punchy, taut sentences, makes for fast-paced reading, as do dramatic page turns, and it emphasizes the grandeur of the enterprise; fascinating, quirky facts abound. In most illustrations, persons default white.

A book worthy of the statue herself. (measurements, timeline, facts about the statue and historical figures, author's note, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews