André, a French orphan, lingers daily at the Statue of Liberty's construction site, then hides aboard a ship carrying the statue to America. When a storm threatens Lady Liberty's safety, André risks his dream of becoming a coppersmith to save the statue. Artificial-sounding dialogue and a contrived plot drown out the few interesting tidbits about the statue's creation. Uninspired watercolors and an author's note are included.

Gr 1-2--Andre, an orphan, is taken in by a neighbor who treats him poorly. The boy seeks refuge with "The Lady"--the statue that is being built as a gift from the French to the American people. He visits so often that workers let him help with small tasks and the sculptor himself, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, allows Andre to help hammer out the copper that becomes the statue's little finger. When it is finally time to ship her to America, Andre decides to stow away. When a storm threatens the safety of the statue and the ship itself, the boy reveals himself to report the loose cargo. He tells the captain how he was inspired by what The Lady stands for and his dream of becoming a coppersmith, and the man takes pity on him and allows him to work as a cabin boy in exchange for passage. The tone of this book is not always convincing, especially during Andre's musings on freedom, but it is a good introduction to historical fiction, and offers a story about one of our national symbols from an interesting point of view. The watercolor illustrations, done mostly in browns and grays, help to convey the time and place, and are actually better than most found in beginning readers.--Carrie Schadle, New York Public Library