Cover Image

Looking at liberty

by Stevenson, Harvey.

Format: Print Book 2003
Availability: Available at 1 Library 1 of 1 copy

Available (1)
Location Collection Call #
Bethel Park Public Library Picture Books PB STEVENSON Harvey
Location  Bethel Park Public Library
 
Collection  Picture Books
 
Call Number  PB STEVENSON Harvey
 
 

Summary

Who is she?

Where did she come from?How was she made?

1869 -- from the drawing board of the French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, a vision comes to life in the form of a grand monument honoring the friendship between France and America and the principle of liberty that binds them together.

This is a story of the determination and energy of the many who believed in this vision and collaborated to build what became an inspiration to millions. From the earliest sketches to her glorious stand as a universal symbol of freedom, follow the statue's journey from the dusty ateliers of Paris, across the Atlantic, to her celebrated arrival in New York.

Through poignant verse and dramatic paintings, Harvey Stevenson tells the timeless tale behind America's most celebrated symbol of democracy -- the Statue of Liberty.

Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. There are several books about the construction of the Statue of Liberty, but this one uses affecting verse and bold artwork to show children how an idea became a three-dimensional symbol of hope. The narrative begins in France as the sculptor, Bartholdi, begins his sketching and then sees his statue built in Paris. It's the pictures of the construction that will intrigue children. One picture shows a giant hand, holding the torch, as it's being placed. In another, workmen seem minute as they hammer iron rivets on the statue's toes. But along with the physicality of the building, there's the verse, which speaks to the statue's glory: She's made of newspaper ink and excitement . . . of the clink of chisels on pink Connecticut granite . . . . She's made of raindrops clinging to wooden pulleys and foghorns and smoke. Extremely helpful are the brief notes that appear at the bottom of most spreads, adding factual information to the verse. A time line, a brief bibliography, and Emma Lazarus' The New Colossus round out the package. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2003 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Stevenson's (Little Rabbit Goes to Sleep) lush, arrestingly composed paintings immediately draw youngsters into this lyrical tribute to the Statue of Liberty. In the opening spread, a child gazes up at the monument as the narrative reads, "Your bright eyes looking up/ may wonder why/ she's standing against the sky,/ and what her silent story might be." As the lilting verse sketches an impressionistic history of the statue from its conception to its installation ("She's got friendship in her./ A French sculptor's hopes...."), occasional prose passages at the bottom of the pages provide a factual overview of the planning, construction and impact of the monument. Children may find some of the references obscure, e.g., "She's made of plaster dust in sweating men's hair"; and "The flying red-hot iron rivets made her,/ as did the scaffolding and buckets." Stevenson's evocatively lit paintings impart a sense of the statue's impressive scale, particularly when they show men building its various sections. Especially memorable are the images of a frigate steaming across the Atlantic, carrying the pieces of the statue to America as the sunset vividly paints sky and sea; and a close-up view of the erected monument's upper torso and crowned head, glowing in reflected light. While not effervescent (like Allan Drummond's Liberty!), this is nonetheless an affectionate and graceful portrait of Lady Liberty. Pair it with Lynn Curlee's Liberty for a comprehensive look at her history and construction. Ages 4-7. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved"
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.) -- History -- Juvenile literature.
Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.) -- History.
New York (N.Y.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Juvenile literature.
Publisher New York :HarperCollins,2003
Edition 1st ed.
Language English
Description 35 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 29 cm
Bibliography Notes Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0060001003
0060001011 (lib. bdg.)
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