NAMING LIBERTY
Pictures by Jim Burke
Philomel 2008
ISBN# 0399242503 Philomel Hardcover

At first the editor, Pat Gauch, and I were talking about a book simply relating the building of the Statue of Liberty, a new project for Jim Burke with whom I had done the successful MY BROTHER’S FLYING MACHINE. However, as I began my research, I found too many other picture books-some quite wonderful-that had already done that simple bit of telling. So I knew I had to find a different way to tell the story. And then suddenly, in one flash of inspiration, I knew-it would be a double story, of a Jewish child from the Ukraine (as my father had been, only a little girl in this telling) coming to America and seeing the Statue for the first time. The simultaneous stories of girl and Statue would need to have corresponding moments, and it was finding those moments, those “story beats,” that were the hardest and at the same time the most satisfying part of writing the book. Jim Burke’s paintings are-as of course I expected-marvelous. My favorite is a two page spread of a train passing across parts of Eastern Europe with wolves watching from behind the trees.

The original printing had a screwed-up page, and so it had to be dealt with before the book could be released. So it was delayed two months, in which time a similar book came out and caught all the publicity! Sigh.

What reviewers have said: “Yolen’s graceful text and Burke’s illustrations balance the events of emotions of the parallel stories . .The two Atlantic crossings come together in one New York Harbor view of the copper Statue, symbolizing the unifying themes of new ideas, freedom and the opportunity for a fresh start.”—Kirkus

“A classic tale of an immigrant dream, Yolen's heartfelt "Naming Liberty" is told in two parallel strands - one of a Jewish girl who longs for an American name as she crosses the ocean with her family, and of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the man who built the Statue of Liberty. A lovely tale with lush paintings by Burke, Yolen's story captures the dreams and passions of freedom as felt by a young immigrant girl and an artist. . . .Readers will be reminded of how special America has always been to so many citizens of different races and backgrounds.”—Copley News Service

“A striking celebration of freedom.” --Children's Bookshelf