What Emma Wrote: The Woman Behind the Words on the Statue of Liberty
by Ann D. Koffsky (Ann Diament Koffsky) and illustrator N. Tarcan
While I was not WOWed by this story, I was warm and cozy with it. It was a nice story, a good introduction to the subject and made me want to learn more about the woman who is the Emma of the title. Both the text and illustrations give off comfortable vibes
The publisher’s description says “with its poetic message” the Statue of Liberty is a beloved piece of American history. The woman, who would not stand on formality and did not “know the place of a young woman of her time”, Emma Lazarus, would change poetry and honestly the world, with a simple poem on that beloved statue. Of course, there is much more to this than just a poem. We explore how Lazarus was of Jewish immigrants from Brazil, how she would fight for justice, learn about people around her, and see what she could help change. The pen became mightier than the sword.
And that kind of language and attitude is what flows throughout the picture book. It is terribly patriotic and very much a love story to America, the Statue and on the surface its ideals. Of course, reality is different from what is being said (immigrants still deal with biases and prejudices), but the adult will be able to find that both reality and what is being said is true. The illustrations are nice, colorful and detailed without being overwhelming, and set the tone for what Koffsky wanted. I do not LOVE What Emma Wrote, but I did enjoy the story and what the poem “The New Colossus” message is about.
