Emma Lazarus overcame the barriers of her day to become one of the leading poets of the nineteenth century. She used her celebrity to help the poor and impoverished immigrants of Eastern Europe. When the statue Liberty Enlightening the World came to the United States as a gift from France, it was Emma's poem "The New Colossus" that became forever connected with this American icon. Emma's words have served as a rallying call to generations of immigrants. In breathtaking color, veteran artist Stacey Schuett brings life to Erica Silverman's story of one of the great women of America. Gr 3-5-Lazarus, born into a life of privilege in New York City in 1849, loved poetry from a very young age. First inspired and later taught via correspondence by Ralph Waldo Emerson, she heeded what her mentor called "listening to the whisper of the voice within" and filled up countless notebooks with poetry. "Words grew, and images took shape"; this recurring expression describing Lazarus's creative process is symbolized by a corresponding motif of stylized swirls and stars superimposed on the expressive pen-and-ink/watercolor illustrations. As Lazarus became aware of the plight of throngs of Russian Jewish immigrants pouring into New York Harbor, her writing became "fueled by anger at injustice, pride in her heritage, and hope for a better world" as she became a passionate humanitarian. When France sent a new statue called "Liberty Enlightening the World" to the United States, Lazarus was invited to submit a poem to help raise funds at auction for the purchase of a pedestal. She drew upon her hopes and dreams for the many immigrants she had helped to craft her poem "The New Colossus." This short biography goes into greater detail about her development and life as a writer than Linda Glaser's Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty (Houghton, 2010). The evocative illustrations marry well with this accessible, appealing story of a woman both ahead of her time and an important American writer who left a lasting literary legacy to every United States citizen.-Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. A well-known poet in her day, Emma Lazarus was initially hesitant to pen the poem that would make her famous, “The New Colossus,” which is engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty as well as in history books and hearts. But her dedication to the plight of immigrant Russian Jews and to listening to her own “whisper of the voice deep within” ultimately inspired her message to the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” In a straightforward and smooth narrative style, Silverman, author of the popular Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa series, tells the story of Lazarus’ life and work. The accompanying ink-and-watercolor illustrations serve the historical setting, characters, and plot well, although distracting, psychedelic patterns follow Lazarus across a few pages. A final biographical note and bibliography close this title that will partner well with Linda Glaser’s Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty (2010). Grades 1-3. --Andrew Medlar “The evocative illustrations marry well with this accessible, appealing story of a woman both ahead of her time and an important American writer who left a lasting literary legacy to every United States citizen.”— School Library Journal Awards for Erica Silverman: Theodore Geisel Honor Award for Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa;  Sydney Taylor Award for Sholom’s Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer Emma Lazarus overcame the barriers of her day to become one of the leading poets of the nineteenth century. She used her celebrity to help the poor and impoverished immigrants of Eastern Europe. When the statue Liberty Enlightening the World came to the United States as a gift from France, it was Emma's poem, "The New Collosus" that became forever connected with this American icon. Emma's words have served as a rallying call to generations of immigrants. In breathtaking color, veteran artist Stacey Schuett brings life to Erica Silverman's story of one of the great women of America. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breath free..." Erica Silverman taught English as a Second Language to adult immigrants before becoming a librarian.  She is the author of many beloved children's books, including the Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa early reader series.  She lives in Los Angeles, California Stacey Schuett is the illustrator of dozens of books for young readers. She lives in Sebastol, California.