Lady with a Torch: How the Statue of Liberty Was Born

""Someday I will build the biggest statue in the world in honor of a grand idea. That statue will be as famous as the Great Pyramid.'' The statue, of course, became the Statue of Liberty. Auguste Bartholdi's obsession is the focus here, with the concentrated determination of one person serving as inspiration for all of us. Coupled with Bartholdi's love for hugeness is Coerr's affection for little pieces of history and the project's beginnings: the sculptor's mother posed for the statue's head, he married the seamstress who posed for the body, etc. The countless people who have climbed the statue's stairs can thank Eiffel, another devotee of awesome scope in structure, who put them there expressly because he knew people like to climb statues. Since the ``lady with a torch'' has entered so many lives, the chronology and listing of other Bartholdi statues will be appreciated. De Mejo's drawings capture the simplicity and splendor of a gray harbor day. Another winner in this growing centennial library. (711)