Lady Liberty’s Holiday

In this freewheeling tale, the Statue of Liberty steps off her pedestal to tour natural and man-made U.S. landmarks. Arena (Besos for Baby) and Hunt (Worm Weather) pool their talents and senses of humor to set Lady Liberty free after she complains that she’s bored of the same scenery, and has sore arms and a leg cramp that’s lasted “for a decade at least.” Sneaking off, the statue washes sand from the beaches of New Jersey and Cape Cod off her feet at Niagara Falls, sits atop the St. Louis Arch, hikes the Rockies, naps on the Golden Gate Bridge, and perches on a Grand Canyon ledge, where “for once in her life, Lady Liberty felt small.” The book’s visual comedy mostly derives from the statue’s gargantuan size—one particularly funny scene shows the statue photo-bombing the presidents at Mount Rushmore, perplexing tourists. Arena includes information about the statue’s history and statistics in a closing note, but leaves those details out of the story, keeping Lady Liberty’s journey lighthearted and fun. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Literary Agency. (May)