Hello Lighthouse written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall is a charming and informative story about how lighthouses worked and why. This 2019 Caldecott Award winner is a real treat for the eye all wrapped up in deep red, frothy white and sea blue watercolors. The slender tall book itself suggests the shape of the lighthouse. The opening up of one side of the lighthouse so that young readers can peek inside to see the stacked floors of circular rooms and spiral staircases is fascinating.
The duties of the lighthouse keeper and his wife are presented against a kinetic background of gulls, waves, wind and sky. The routine of keeping the light in good shape by polishing the lens, refilling the oil, trimming the wick, winding the clockwork, watching the weather and keeping the logbook up to date is well described. The routine is broken whenever fog rolls in and the bells must clang! The illustration of a foggy night is effectively presented for young eyes as is the keeper’s rescue of sailors caught in a shipwreck.
One day, however, the coast guard arrives and installs a new light that runs completely by machine. ‘’No lamp to fill, no wick to trim. The keeper’s work is done. He climbs to the top of the spiral stairs and closes the logbook for good.”
Hello Lighthouse, researched, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is a gorgeous anthem to the history, beauty and importance of lighthouses. It is perfect for children 4-8 years of age (Little Brown and Company, 2018).
The Children’s Bookshelf is a production of WCMU. A link to the podcast and activity questions can be found at Children’s Bookshelf dot.org.
Questions and activities for Hello Lighthouse
In this story you can see that the lighthouse keeper had many duties and he kept track of them by writing them down every day in a logbook. What are your duties as a family member? Do you have to keep your room picked up each day? Are you expected to take your dog for a walk each day or keep your dog’s bowls clean and filled? Perhaps you have a list of books to read during the summer? Record each of your duties when accomplished in a notebook. Make sure you write the time and date of each completed responsibility in your logbook.
Review the author-illustrator’s note at the back of this book. It contains many interesting facts about a lighthouse keeper’s life. Although work kept the keepers of the light occupied, they also had ways to relax by playing cards, making model ships and reading. If you were isolated in a lighthouse with your family what board games, books, hobbies, puzzles and projects would you want to have with you?
Women also served as lighthouse keepers. Do some research online with the help of a parent, if needed, to uncover the story of such women as Mary Reynolds keeper of the Biloxi Light in Mississippi and Harriet Colfax keeper of the Michigan City Light in Indiana.
