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Summary
Summary
Hit the road and see America with the Statue of Liberty!
The Statue of Liberty is feeling a little blue, despite being green. As much as she loves welcoming people to America, standing still for over a hundred years has left her with a stiff neck, aching arms, and a cramp in her leg. This lady could use a vacation!
With some encouragement from her friend Moe the pigeon, Lady Liberty takes off to see the rest of America! She explores the sandy beaches of Cape Cod, the waving wheat fields of Kansas, the breathtaking grandeur of the Grand Canyon, and the cozy sunshine of the California coastline. But will Lady Liberty make it back to New York City for the Fourth of July? And will she even want to?
"Lady Liberty's journey [is] lighthearted and fun."-- Publishers Weekly
"A fun and fabulous read for a Fourth of July storytime."-- School Library Journal
Author Notes
JEN ARENA is lucky to have been surrounded by children's books her whole life. As a teenager, she worked in a bookstore. Then she was a children's book editor. And now she writes and edits books for kids, including Besos for Baby and 100 Snowmen. Like Lady Liberty, Jen loves to travel around America--her favorite spots are Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York--but she always comes home in the end. Visit her at jenarenabooks.com.
MATT HUNT spent his childhood in the historical county of Worcestershire, England. Starting out as a fine artist, he graduated from the Birmingham School of Art and, from these roots, developed a love for children's illustration. Matt now lives in Redditch, in northeast England, with his wife and two cats, and keeps busy drawing from his humble little home studio. Visit him at matthuntillustration.com.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The Statue of Liberty is bored. She tells her pigeon friend, "Moe, every day feels the same. I see the same skyscrapers, the same city." Moe encourages her to take a holiday. She begins with the Jersey Shore, Cape Cod, and Niagara Falls and continues west from there. The illustrations present famous landmarks and landscapes from across the country. Confused tourists look on as she peeks over the top of Mount Rushmore. Sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon, "for once in her life, Lady Liberty [feels] small." She makes it to California and stops to doze at the Golden Gate Bridge. Meanwhile, New York City is concerned. The missing statue puts a damper on the Fourth of July preparations. Moe sets out to find his friend and bring her home. The statue is enjoying a leisurely stroll through a Southern swamp when Moe finds her. "Nobody feels like celebrating without you," he says. The statue replies, "But the Fourth of July isn't about me. It's about America! I've seen this country. The purple mountains, the shining seas, the bridges and buildings. Everyone should know how amazing it is and celebrate it!" She runs north and reaches New York City in time for the fireworks. "And Liberty [is] blue no longer." She tells Moe, "It was good to get away. But it's great to be home." The final pages explain how the statue came to America and include a page of short facts and further resources. VERDICT The book is not subtle, but it provides a bright, colorful opening for teachers and parents wanting to expose children to the variety of America's landscape through engaging mixed-media illustrations and a simple story. A fun and fabulous read for a Fourth of July storytime.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this freewheeling tale, the Statue of Liberty steps off her pedestal to tour natural and man-made U.S. landmarks. Arena (Besos for Baby) and Hunt (Worm Weather) pool their talents and senses of humor to set Lady Liberty free after she complains that she's bored of the same scenery, and has sore arms and a leg cramp that's lasted "for a decade at least." Sneaking off, the statue washes sand from the beaches of New Jersey and Cape Cod off her feet at Niagara Falls, sits atop the St. Louis Arch, hikes the Rockies, naps on the Golden Gate Bridge, and perches on a Grand Canyon ledge, where "for once in her life, Lady Liberty felt small." The book's visual comedy mostly derives from the statue's gargantuan size-one particularly funny scene shows the statue photo-bombing the presidents at Mount Rushmore, perplexing tourists. Arena includes information about the statue's history and statistics in a closing note, but leaves those details out of the story, keeping Lady Liberty's journey lighthearted and fun. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency. Illustrator's agency: Bright Literary Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.