The Statue of Liberty

March 1, 1996
K-Gr 1-This easy reader attempts to explain the significance of the Statue of Liberty, where it originated, and how it came to be in America. However, the subject matter has been so simplified that it borders on being meaningless. Accompanying the statement "A Frenchman made the lady...He copied his mother's face for his statue" is a picture of a man drawing as a woman sits across from him. Without a knowledge of the work of sculpture, few children will be able to connect this activity with the "lady" he made. The most comprehensible section describes the size of the statue and the process of shipping it to America. The discussion of the building of "a high pedestal for the lady to stand on" is confusing as the illustrations show a structure more like a dock at the edge of the water and a second illustration shows what many would interpret to be a stack of lumber. In general, readers with adequate background to understand the text will not be interested in its condescending tone. Betsy Maestro's The Story of the Statue of Liberty (Lothrop, 1986) is a far better source for information on the subject. Those seeking beginning-reading material should consider some of the many other successful titles in this series.-Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA