Lady Liberty- A Biography by Doreen Rappaport

I am fortunate to live only a few miles from New York City. I take the ferry into the city a few times a year and we always pass the Statue of Liberty. I visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as part of a 5th grade class trip back in elementary school. She has always been in the background of my life, rarely coming to the forefront. However, after reading Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport I look at Lady Liberty with a newfound appreciation.

Told in a series of individual poems, each of which focuses on a different person who contributed to the creation of the Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty: A Biography is a gorgeous book suitable for any age. Doreen Rappaport chronicles the building of the Statue of Liberty from Laoulaye’s original idea, to completion may years later. From the salons of Glatigny France in 1865, to the workrooms in Paris in 1876, to the foundation pit of the statue in 1884, the reader is introduced to sculptors, poets, newspaper publishers, immigrants, and average citizens. From the newsrooms of New York City in 1885, to Bedloe’s Island and the big reveal in 1886, Rappaport pulls readers into this fascinating journey of two nations.

The illustrations by Matt Tavares are gorgeous and true to life. I felt like I was looking at a photograph of the Statue, albeight one taken over a century ago. The illustrations fit the text perfectly and add a whole new dimension to the biography of the Statue of Liberty.

A stunning book, I can’t wait to share this with my classes!