Little Miss Liberty by Chris Robertson ages 4-8 36 pages Harcourt April 2005 Hardcover     From her auspicious birth, it is clear that Little Miss Liberty is a most unusual child. She is partial to the color green and only that color. And she has been growing by leaps and bounds, a foot or more taller each day. You can imagine the vast quantities of groceries her parents need to feed their growing daughter, always out shopping for more supplies. Little Miss Liberty has quite an appetite for knowledge, as well, reading everything she can get her hands on, books, maps, cereal boxes, billboards, even comic books. With an amazing thirst for more and more information, Little Miss Liberty is an excellent student, her hand raised high before the teacher even asks the class a question. But the remarkable young lady is even more beloved, because she is a natural friend to all, particularly anyone who feels different or misunderstood. She loves the city of her birth in France, but Little Miss Liberty has always known there is a special place in the world for her, a place where she can be an inspiration to others, a guiding light. Of independent mind, she sets out to find it. No matter where she travels, from continent to continent, nothing feels just right until she comes upon a pedestal, near a brilliant city surrounded by water. Climbing up on the pedestal, Little Miss Liberty lifts her torch, holds it high and settles in for good, home at last. The story is illustrated with energetic and colorful drawings of Little Miss Liberty's astonishing birth and rapid growth, towering over her parents, leading the other students, dressed all in green with a crown on her head (she spotted it in a department store and had to have it!). Easy sketches indicate the changing geography as she searches for her rightful home, familiar monuments and terrains, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the pyramids and other countries. The bright colors and simple text are perfect for introducing children to the importance of the Statue of Liberty, where the statue originated and exactly what Liberty symbolizes. The 120th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty will be celebrated this coming Fourth of July, and this clever book is a wonderful introduction to a child's awareness of history. With drawings reminiscent of the Madeline in Paris books and Curious George, Robertson spins a compelling tale, a journey from the concept of freedom and independence to the reality of a national monument.     web reviews   Luan Gaines/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)