The NYPL reminded me that today is the Statue of Liberty's 125th birthday. Serendipitously, I picked up a book about this very topic while volunteering yesterday at my daughter's school library: Eve Bunting's A Picnic in October in which a family travels to Liberty Island despite the fall chill for a birthday picnic because "that's what Grandma wants." But it's not Grandma's birthday - it's Lady Liberty's! I must confess, I didn't have a chance to read this book carefully, but it's so appropos that I couldn't resist mentioning it.
Another wonderful picture book about the statute is Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statute of Liberty by Linda Glaser. A biography of Emma Lazarus, the poet who penned the famous poem that is printed on a plaque at the base of the statute: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," this book can be approached in so many different ways: among them to discuss income inequality (so timely!) and immigration or to introduce the genres of biography and poetry. We loved this one.
The statue is made of Bronze, but long exposure to the elements has resulted in the weathered, greenish-gray appearance it now has. The statue was finished in 1883 and on July 4, 1884 was presented as a gift to the united states. The statue was brought to Bedloe's Island in June of 1885, and assembled in 1886, and public unveiling was held on Oct 28, 1886.
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