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Liberty Rising: The Story of the Statue of Liberty
Liberty should shine here on this island, Bartholdi decided, where she can welcome all to America.
The story behind Liberty’s construction and the visionaries who made it happen Liberty Rising
The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom to all. But what is her story? How did she come to be? From conception to construction, each element of the Statue of Liberty has a fascinating story of its a face bearing the likeness of the creator’s mother; a hand and a torch traveling alone to America; seventy train cars packed with pieces.
This inspiring and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the visionaries behind the statue and the process by which they carried out the design and building of one of the world’s most important monuments.
The story behind Liberty’s construction and the visionaries who made it happen Liberty Rising
The Statue of Liberty stands as a powerful symbol of freedom to all. But what is her story? How did she come to be? From conception to construction, each element of the Statue of Liberty has a fascinating story of its a face bearing the likeness of the creator’s mother; a hand and a torch traveling alone to America; seventy train cars packed with pieces.
This inspiring and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the visionaries behind the statue and the process by which they carried out the design and building of one of the world’s most important monuments.
44 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 12, 2017
Title: Liberty Rising; The Story Of the Statue of Liberty
Author: Pegi Deitz Shea
Publisher/Date: Henry Holt and Company (2005)
# Of Pages: 32
Summary: This book shows students the importance of the Statue Of liberty. This book goes on to show where the statue came from and why, most importantly how it was built. The long history behind this statue is something every student should learn about. The books also leaves interesting facts at the end of it as well. Students will be amazed what they find and learn about the Statue Of Liberty.
Star Scale: 5 Stars
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade Level: 4th
Lexile Level:1030L
Guided Reading Level: N
NYS ELA CCS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
After students read the book they will be assigned specific sections of the book to give a walk through of what they learned. Students should be familiar with historical facts and sharing them with the class.
Author: Pegi Deitz Shea
Publisher/Date: Henry Holt and Company (2005)
# Of Pages: 32
Summary: This book shows students the importance of the Statue Of liberty. This book goes on to show where the statue came from and why, most importantly how it was built. The long history behind this statue is something every student should learn about. The books also leaves interesting facts at the end of it as well. Students will be amazed what they find and learn about the Statue Of Liberty.
Star Scale: 5 Stars
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade Level: 4th
Lexile Level:1030L
Guided Reading Level: N
NYS ELA CCS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
After students read the book they will be assigned specific sections of the book to give a walk through of what they learned. Students should be familiar with historical facts and sharing them with the class.
September 21, 2018
Bold pastel images on paper featuring dramatic perspectives of the statue's creation and the seaside it graces make this an intriguing tale about Lady Liberty.
The narrative is a bit long and somewhat dry, so I would recommend the book to older children, especially those who want to learn more about the history of the statue.
I appreciate that the end of the book contains a time line with additional history and facts about our iconic beacon of freedom. The poem by Emma Lazarus is included, as well as a list of books for 'further reading.'
The narrative is a bit long and somewhat dry, so I would recommend the book to older children, especially those who want to learn more about the history of the statue.
I appreciate that the end of the book contains a time line with additional history and facts about our iconic beacon of freedom. The poem by Emma Lazarus is included, as well as a list of books for 'further reading.'
December 8, 2015
This book was amazing! The artwork is beautiful. From the beginning of the book I was wondering what would happen if the parts had broken on the trip to America. My question was never answered but at least they made it. At the end of the book, the part about the one hundred years of bird dropping part was really funny.
October 21, 2025
Author Pegi Deitz Shea and illustrator Wade Zahares team up in this picture book history of the Statue of Liberty. The text follows the evolution of this iconic monument, which began as an idea conceived by French law professor Edouard de Laboulaye—a gift to be given from the people of France to those of America—and which was then designed and created by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with the help of many craftsmen and engineers, including Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who subsequently constructed the Eiffel Tower. The narrative also discusses the fundraising on both sides of the Atlantic that went into the project, both for the statue and for its base, built in New York Harbor, as well as the transportation of the giant statue in pieces, and its reconstruction in its new home. The book closes with two pages of additional information, arranged chronologically, as well as a pronunciation guide to various French names, and a list of further reading...
I read Liberty Rising: The Story of the Statue of Liberty at the same time as Betsy and Giulio Maestro's The Story of the Statue of Liberty , another picture book covering the same story, and my reaction to both was undoubtedly driven by this fact, and by the comparisons that it was inevitable that I make. I appreciated the informative and engaging text here, which offered far more detail than did the Maestros' book, and I liked that emphasis was put on the involvement of many different figures in the creation of this most famous statue and monument. The Maestros' book focused almost exclusively on Bartholdi, whereas here Shea also brought in Laboulaye, Eiffel, and Richard Morris Hunt, the American architect who designed the statue's pedestal, and Joseph Pulitzer, the newspaperman who led fundraising efforts. That being said, while I preferred the text here, I found Giulio Maestro's illustrations in the other book more appealing than Wade Zahares' work here. Done in pastels, the paintings here are colorful, but also sometimes felt a little muddled to me, lacking the clarity and simplicity of Maestro's watercolors. I liked the four-page pull-out section showing Lady Liberty in all her glory, but on the whole I wasn't terribly impressed with this one, visually speaking. Ideally, I would have liked to combine the text here with the artwork there. All this being said, I still found this one engaging, and might have enjoyed the artwork more, were I not comparing it to another artist's style. I would recommend this one for use in upper elementary school, for older picture book audiences. It could be paired with titles like Linda Glaser and Claire A. Nivola's Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty , about the poet Emma Lazarus, who wrote the famous poem The Colossus about the Statue of Liberty.
I read Liberty Rising: The Story of the Statue of Liberty at the same time as Betsy and Giulio Maestro's The Story of the Statue of Liberty , another picture book covering the same story, and my reaction to both was undoubtedly driven by this fact, and by the comparisons that it was inevitable that I make. I appreciated the informative and engaging text here, which offered far more detail than did the Maestros' book, and I liked that emphasis was put on the involvement of many different figures in the creation of this most famous statue and monument. The Maestros' book focused almost exclusively on Bartholdi, whereas here Shea also brought in Laboulaye, Eiffel, and Richard Morris Hunt, the American architect who designed the statue's pedestal, and Joseph Pulitzer, the newspaperman who led fundraising efforts. That being said, while I preferred the text here, I found Giulio Maestro's illustrations in the other book more appealing than Wade Zahares' work here. Done in pastels, the paintings here are colorful, but also sometimes felt a little muddled to me, lacking the clarity and simplicity of Maestro's watercolors. I liked the four-page pull-out section showing Lady Liberty in all her glory, but on the whole I wasn't terribly impressed with this one, visually speaking. Ideally, I would have liked to combine the text here with the artwork there. All this being said, I still found this one engaging, and might have enjoyed the artwork more, were I not comparing it to another artist's style. I would recommend this one for use in upper elementary school, for older picture book audiences. It could be paired with titles like Linda Glaser and Claire A. Nivola's Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty , about the poet Emma Lazarus, who wrote the famous poem The Colossus about the Statue of Liberty.
August 12, 2017
This was a very interesting book about the Statue of Liberty. I found out that so many people had a hand in making her. And how America and France worked together, to get Lady liberty into the New York Harbor. France would make the statue and America would make the base. I loved how the American government "hit up" the rich people, to help finish the base.
I knew that Lady Liberty had to be shipped in pieces, but I didn't realize how big an undertaking it was and how much time it took. I also didn't know that they wanted the plan completed by America's 100th birthday. (July 4, 1876)
I did feel bad that the man, Edouard de Laboulaye, who dreamed up this beautiful gift, died before the plan was accomplished.
I knew that Lady Liberty had to be shipped in pieces, but I didn't realize how big an undertaking it was and how much time it took. I also didn't know that they wanted the plan completed by America's 100th birthday. (July 4, 1876)
I did feel bad that the man, Edouard de Laboulaye, who dreamed up this beautiful gift, died before the plan was accomplished.
June 15, 2020
Non-Fiction
Middle Grades (4-6)
This is a fantastic story that I knew nothing about! I love the illustrations and it is so crazy, in my mind, that people paid money just to see parts of the Statue of Liberty as it was being built!
Middle Grades (4-6)
This is a fantastic story that I knew nothing about! I love the illustrations and it is so crazy, in my mind, that people paid money just to see parts of the Statue of Liberty as it was being built!
October 22, 2023
The history of the idea, design, and construction of the Statue of Liberty . I especially enjoyed how it was Laboulaye’s study of the constitution that inspired the gift. Gorgeous high color graphic illustration with a tall fold out included .
September 3, 2020
Fantastic book about the relationship between France and America and the history of the Statue of Liberty.
February 20, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It's very wonderfully illustrated and written. It's the story of how the Statue of Liberty was created and came to America. It is a great story for kids to read and learn about the history behind the famous statue. I could see this book being used in class to spark a research project.
February 15, 2016
This non-fiction picture book tells about how the Statue of Liberty was made. It discusses how the statue was built from the inside out and that it was built twice. The book also tells the story of how the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France and is a celebration of our freedom in America. The Statue of Liberty stands in New York.
I liked this book because it was so factual about the Statue of Liberty, but I really enjoyed the illustrations and the pull out picture of the Statue of Liberty. It was a very wordy book so it would be for students with a higher reading level or for a teacher to read aloud.
I would use this in my classroom just as a history read aloud to show students what the Statue of Liberty is actually for. I think they would really enjoy the pictures as I read the large amount of words on each page. I also think that this book does a good job of not sounding like a history book when telling the story.
I liked this book because it was so factual about the Statue of Liberty, but I really enjoyed the illustrations and the pull out picture of the Statue of Liberty. It was a very wordy book so it would be for students with a higher reading level or for a teacher to read aloud.
I would use this in my classroom just as a history read aloud to show students what the Statue of Liberty is actually for. I think they would really enjoy the pictures as I read the large amount of words on each page. I also think that this book does a good job of not sounding like a history book when telling the story.
March 23, 2010
This book explains the journey of the statue of liberty, and why it was placed in New York.
Although the text is interesting in this book, it is the pictures that stand out in this book. The illustrator uses many bold colors and abstract designs. It is different to see this type of art work in a non-fiction. The bright colors were made even more exciting by pull out pages. I was immediately excited about the pictures. I was surprised that despite the fun take on the pictures the information was really good in the book. The pictures made this book informing and also entertaining for the reader.
Although the text is interesting in this book, it is the pictures that stand out in this book. The illustrator uses many bold colors and abstract designs. It is different to see this type of art work in a non-fiction. The bright colors were made even more exciting by pull out pages. I was immediately excited about the pictures. I was surprised that despite the fun take on the pictures the information was really good in the book. The pictures made this book informing and also entertaining for the reader.
December 8, 2015
A fantastic educational book about the USA's most recognized landmark from conception to unveiling. The illustrations are soft but attractive and perfectly reflect the story being told. Parents and teachers can easily start additional history conversations about the many well known names mentioned including President Ulysses S Grant, Joseph Pulitzer, and the master builder behind the Eiffel tower. Don't forget to read about 100 years of bird droppings, how Liberty became inscribed with her famous poem, as well as the pronunciation guide at the end.
September 8, 2016
Liberty Rising by Pegi Deitz Shea is the story of the Statue of Liberty. Edouard de Leboulaye created the excitement for the gift to give the United States while Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed it. It became one of the most well-known symbols of our country.
I enjoyed this book. It's a story we don't hear very often, so I enjoyed reading about it. I also really enjoyed the bright illustrations by Wade Zahares.
This would be a great book to read in an elementary classroom. It would be a great way to discuss historical events and vocabulary, like "allies".
I enjoyed this book. It's a story we don't hear very often, so I enjoyed reading about it. I also really enjoyed the bright illustrations by Wade Zahares.
This would be a great book to read in an elementary classroom. It would be a great way to discuss historical events and vocabulary, like "allies".
August 18, 2012
Perfect narrative nonfiction book. I want to write a book like this some day, one that's fascinating, totally readable, and full of random facts. The art is just abstract enough that it doesn't look creepy photo-real, but everything is still identifyable.
April 27, 2008
absolutely beautiful illustrations done by Wade Zahares!!!
October 18, 2009
Great book for the story of the Statue of Liberty for historical purposes or for the statue as a landmark
June 22, 2010
This is a beautifully illustrated informational book about the history of the Statue of Liberty. Interesting information, a must read before you take the family to see the Statue of Liberty.
July 1, 2013
Beautiful art but a bit wordy for a picture book.
March 17, 2016
reviewed July 2014
April 2, 2017
Liberty Rising has such promise, but I'm afraid it fell short of expectations with a lot of great illustrations, but hard to understand words and descriptions. The pages have paragraphs of words with not a lot of supporting details. I don't think this could be used effectively for all readers, but it's a good history piece that would work for an immigrant unit.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews