LIBERTY RISING

Shea gives an oft-told tale a slightly different slant, focusing on the design challenges involved in the construction, deconstruction, transportation, reconstruction and later refurbishing of Lady Liberty, which was the tallest human-made structure of her time. Capped by a big double-gatefold portrait of statue and base, Zahares’s illustrations add considerable drama to the story, using intense brights and darks, bold colors, and scenes in which not only the statue, but buildings, people, boats, shipping crates and even raindrops look solid and monumental. Closing with some rousing rhetoric, plus a timeline to the present and a short reading list, this makes a memorable addition to the shelf of tributes to this country’s most recognizable national symbol. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)