Hello!...Hello!...Hello! A lighthouse stands on a rocky coast, beaming out a message to passing ships. While modern lighthouses are automated, that wasn’t always the case. Sophie Blackall’s Caldecott-winning Hello Lighthouse shows the life of a lighthouse keeper throughout the years. It explores his duties within the lighthouse and the ships that provide his only connection to the outside world, delivering letters, supplies, and sometimes even people! From calm seas to tumultuous storms, the lighthouse keeper and his family spend their days tending to their home and keeping travelers on the sea safe from harm.
Hello Lighthouse is a fascinating, well-researched look into a bygone era. The text has a charming rhythm, making this book a good read-aloud, while containing enough facts to hold the interest of a non-fiction lover. The illustrations play with light, color, and repetition to draw the readers in and help them feel immersed in the lighthouse keeper’s world. Lighthouse-loving and landlocked readers alike can find something to enjoy within this story.
Young children intrigued by the lighthouse should check out Anita Lobel’s counting book, One Lighthouse, One Moon, while older children looking for more information might enjoy Katherine House’s Lighthouses for Kids, which includes hands-on activity suggestions. Those who enjoyed Blackall’s illustrations can browse this year’s Caldecott Honor Books, as well as winners from past years, here in our catalog.
