  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2017 *Starred Review* She’s quite a lady, that Statue of Liberty, and here, in sprightly text and pictures, is all you ever wanted to know about her (and perhaps a bit more). She came to us as a gift from France in 1885, to retrospectively celebrate our country’s centennial. She was a prodigious gift, standing 305 feet above the water and weighing 450,000 pounds, and came in 214 massive parts to be assembled into America’s largest sculpture. So far, so predictable, but here’s where it goes offbeat. Eggers’ focus is not on the torch or the seven-spiked crown or any other customary feature; instead, he focuses on her right foot, which, with its heel lifted off the ground, is caught in midstride. Yes, the statue is walking somewhere. Eggers has his own theory as to where and why (spoiler alert: it has to do with liberty and freedom). The author’s informal, good-humored text is expanded by Harris’ cut-paper and ink pictures, which range in size from sketches to double-page spreads. In a time when immigration is a hot-button issue, it’s good to be reminded that Lady Liberty continues to lift her lamp beside the golden door. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2017 Gr 3 Up—This beautifully designed and conversational yet sophisticated book about the history of the iconic statue is also filled with humor and interesting trivia. Explanations of the construction, size, and eventual color of the statue are explained and illustrated in simple, accessible terms. While the first two-thirds of the book offer information about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the green giant, the final portion is a more editorialized, poetic discussion of the back of her right foot. "She is going somewhere! She is on the move!…she weighs 450,000 pounds, and she is moving…where is she going?" Apparently not to "Soho to get a panini" nor "to the West Village to look for vintage Nico records." No, this welcoming lady has loftier goals. Though she has already greeted thousands of Poles, Norwegians, Cambodians, Estonians, Somalis, Syrians, and others, "It never ends. It cannot end. And this is why she's moving. This is why she's striding. In welcoming the poor, the tired, the struggling to be free. She is not content to wait. She must meet them in the sea." Harris's vibrant impressionistic illustrations, rendered in construction paper collage and india ink, offer thought-provoking, varied perspectives on both the statue and the text. The unpaged tribute is far longer than the usual picture book length of 32 pages, but never wordy. VERDICT A unique and important contribution to be enjoyed by both children and adults; a must-purchase.—Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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