Shortly after reviewing Olapeju Simoyan's book I Played My Best for Him! The Inspiring Stories Behind the Little Drummer Boy & Other Christmas Favorites (reviewed here on 24 January 2026), the author reached out with an offer to review her latest publication, which was being released just in time for the American semiquincentennial -- the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1776. Of course, I accepted.

I, being of a certain age, have fond memories of celebrating the bicentennial when I was a young lad in 1976, so -- while having reservations about the current status of the direction the United States is now taking -- I have a boyish enthusiasm for the upcoming celebration. So, although I have a towering stack of books waiting to be read and reviewed, and indulgently bumped this book up in the queue so it could be finished in time for July 4; admittedly, given the book is short (less than 90 pages and printed in a large font) and amply illustrated (with photographs taken by the author), it was not a huge drain on my time.

To be fair, Sweet Land of Liberty: The stories behind America's national symbols & songs is not intended (so far as I can tell) to be a thorough resource for American history. It is more a brief collection of U.S. trivia. Simoyan takes something of a scattershot approach to the topic, touching on obvious topics such as the National Anthem, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the national flower (the rose), tree (the oak), mammal (the bison) and bird (the bald eagle ... although, surprisingly, we learn that designation wasn't made official until 2024), as well as less obvious subjects like the Justice Bell, Emma Lazarus (a Jewish American immigrant who wrote a sonnet to the Statue of Liberty), Katharine Lee Bates (an author, poet and educator who wrote "America the Beautiful") and Samuel Francis Smith (a minister, journalist and author who wrote "America").

Most trivia is presented concisely -- usually just a page or two -- although some subjects get a disproportionate number of pages, such as the bald eagle (six) and the Liberty Bell (five). Some of those pages seem wasted; for instance, an entire page is devoted to a brief quotation (in very large type) by Nelson Mandela about the Liberty Bell, while two whole pages are simply photos showing readers that the bald eagle appears on the back of the dollar bill and quarter. Another page simply shows a brief span of a staircase at George Washington's Valley Forge headquarters, where the author notes visitors "can touch the same handrail used by the first president!"

The book is clearly intended for younger readers, with questions and project questions scattered throughout to encourage contemplation of the American story. Simoyan provides QR codes linking readers to her own renditions of the patriotic songs discussed in the book, as well as her reading of the Gettysburg Address.

Simoyan avoids any political overtones -- which can be difficult these days -- but doesn't shy away from pointing out a few contradictions, such as the fact that Thomas Jefferson and Francis Scott Key both advocated for freedom while owning slaves.

Adults may find little new information in Sweet Land of Liberty, assuming they paid even the slightest attention in school, but children might discover some interesting historical tidbits. At a time when patriotism seems to be running dry in some circles (or is used more as a prop to win over voters rather than a sincerely held belief), it can't hurt to give American youngsters a solid background in the American story.