Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty Hardcover - 2010

Summary

Media reviews

Jane Addams Children's Book Award 2011 Junior Library Guild Selection  

"Nivola's rectilinear compositions and poses, her generalized figures, and her bright, limited palette recall Barbara Cooney's period scenes, capturing New York City's opulent upper crust and the indigent yet dignified newcomers with equal skill. An excellent introduction to both Lady Liberty and the poem."--Horn Book, starred review 

"The art and words are moving in this picture book, which pairs free verse with detailed, fullpage paintings in watercolor, ink, and gouache to tell the history behind Lazarus' famous inscription on the Statue of Liberty."--Booklist

"A gentle tribute to Emma Lazarus, very much in the style of Barbara Cooney’s Eleanor (Viking, 1996)...The pictures, with their slight folk-art feel, capture both the time and action of the story, while the text illuminates the woman. An author’s note and the full text of the poem complete the book. A worthwhile addition for most collections."--School Library Journal

"Nivola’s watercolor-and-gouache paintings are rich in color and detail, showing the elegant streets and homes of 19th-century New York City as well as its settlement houses. Line, pattern and a sense of place give young readers a rich vision of the "golden door" by which "your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" came to this country. Nicely done, enabling even young children to see how the poem and the statue came together."--Kirkus

Citations

• Booklist, 02/01/2010, Page 46
• Horn Book Magazine, 05/01/2010, Page 106
• Hornbook Guide to Children, 07/01/2010, Page 0
• Kirkus Review - Children, 03/01/2010, Page 199
• Publishers Weekly, 03/15/2010, Page 51
• School Library Journal, 03/01/2010, Page 118