Her Right Foot
By Dave Eggers, Illustrated by Shawn Harris
Published by: Chronicle Books
ISBN-10: 1452162816
Age Range: 6-9 years old
104 Pages, Hardcover
$17.99 on Amazon
Most of us know author Dave Eggers' novels for adults, but he really does have an amazing way with words for kids. In his new children's book, Her Right Foot, Eggers tells the story of the Statue of Liberty noticing that the statue's right foot is mid-stride, moving forward. It's a poignant book for our politically entrenched time sharing the history of our country's beloved icon. The Statue of Liberty was a symbol of freedom for all of the immigrants who came by boat to Ellis Island from 1892-1954 where the port in NY Harbor and the statue greeted those who decided to start a new life in America.
My daughter Chloe is half-French and attends a bilingual school. She is just starting to learn more American history this school year and this book is definitely helping her understand how the history of the United States as a melting pot of nationalities. She loves how this story brings together two countries: France and the United States. There are those who don't realize that the statue was designed and built in France. That the smaller replicas that Bartholdi built that is mentioned it he book are all around Paris today –– one smaller one more famous on the Ile aux Cygnes in the 15th Arrondissement.
Eggers' fun, conversational style makes the book really enjoyable to read. Instead of bombarding kids with just plain o' facts, he writes the book in such a clever way. He bring awareness to how important it is that our country, built on immigrants, continues to allow immigrants to enter the U.S. It's what the Statue of Liberty represents.
Illustrator Shawn Harris did an incredible job with bringing the story to life with his images. His detailed process is fascinating. Harris first creates the image digitally and then uses that as a frame for his cut paper pieces which he colors by hand. He then photographs the finish result. You can see his detailed process in an interview on The Children's Book Review site. The look is amazing because I love being able to see the tactile handiwork in the pages of the book. The cut paper pieces bring depth to the overall page.
In this time of political rhetoric, Her Left Foot is such an incredible, timely book that explains how the Statue of Liberty needs to keep moving forward –– to help all immigrants reach their land of freedom. This book will be one of those gifts that will be treasured and read over and over again for many years. I hope it becomes a new classic.
Here are more interiors inside the book:
There's a contest for kids 12 years old or younger happening now on herrightfoot.com. Visit the site for more details. The contest has been extended to December 31st.
Purchase Her Right Foot on Amazon.
Review book provided by Chronicle Books
