The Statue of Liberty has long served as an important symbol in our nation’s history. From its inception, Lady Liberty has been a gift of friendship, a beacon of hope, and an icon of freedom. Author Doreen Rappaport tells the statue’s story through the eyes of those who were part of her early history. Lady Liberty was born from a romantic idea of Frenchman Êdouard De Laboulaye and brought to life by fellow countryman and sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. The construction and funding process took many years before the public unveiling of the completed statue on October 28, 1886. Majestic watercolor, ink, and pencil illustrations convey the long and emotional process of bringing the project to life. Poems from the perspectives of people involved on both sides of the Atlantic, from notable power figures to everyday citizens pitching in pennies, recount the creation of the Statue of Liberty and its placement in New York’s harbor. Interesting historical insights—about the construction materials, the fundraising, and even the weather—bring life to this monumental “biography.” (Ages 10–14)

A powerfully moving, authentic portrait of the Statue of Liberty, told through the eyes of those who created her and illustrated in glorious detail.

"Soon America will be one hundred years old. I share my dream of a birthday gift."

It begins in 1865 as a romantic idea, but ten years later Édouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire and takes shape. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady, holding a torch to "enlighten the world." Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, coppersmiths — many of them immigrants — work together to turn the lady into a monument over 100 feet tall. Joseph Pulitzer calls on readers to help fund a pedestal, and hundreds send in nickels, dimes, and even roosters for the cause. Doreen Rappaport’s historically accurate, poetic vignettes and Matt Tavares’s magnificent images remind us of the true origins of a national symbol — and show that it took a lot of people to make the Lady.