Let Liberty Rise! by Chana Stiefel and Chuck Groenink
Non Wels
Written by Chana stiefel
illustrated by chuck groenink
Published by Scholastic Press (2021)
2025-2026 Nominees - Picture Books for Older Readers
Synopsis
On America’s 100th birthday, the people of France built a giant gift! It was one of the largest statues the world had ever seen and she weighed as much as 40 elephants! And when she arrived on our shores in 250 pieces, she needed a pedestal to hold her up.
Few of America’s millionaires were willing to foot the bill. Then, Joseph Pulitzer (a poor Hungarian immigrant-cum-newspaper mogul) appealed to his fellow citizens. He invited them to contribute whatever they could, no matter how small an amount, to raise funds to mount this statue. The next day, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters poured in.
Soon, Pulitzer’s campaign raised enough money to construct the pedestal. And with the help of everyday Americans (including many thousands of schoolchildren!) the Statue of Liberty rose skyward, torch ablaze, to welcome new immigrants for a life of freedom and opportunity in Chana Stiefel’s charming and immediate writing style is perfectly paired with Chuck Groenink’s beautiful, slyly humorous illustrations.