Perfect Picture Book Friday – Hello Lighthouse

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and not a moment too soon!

Although at first glance this book may appear to have nothing to do with Mother’s Day (coming up the day after tomorrow), if you read it you’ll see that is does indeed have a connection… 🙂

lighthouse

Title: Hello Lighthouse

Written & Illustrated By: Sophie Blackall

Little, Brown Books For Young Readers, April 2018, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: lighthouses, history, family

Opening: “On the highest rock of a tiny island
at the edge of the world stands a lighthouse.
It is built to last forever.
Sending its light out to sea,
guiding the ships on their way.

From dusk to dawn the lighthouse beams.
Hello!
…Hello!
…Hello!
Hello, Lighthouse!”

Brief Synopsis: The daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as he cares for a lighthouse that stands on the edge of the world, beaming its light across the waves to keep ships safe through dark, storms, and fog.

Links To Resources: the back of the book is full of interesting additional information about lighthouses and their keepers; read along with The Little Red Lighthouse And The Great Gray Bridge by Hildegard Swift and see how the lighthouses are the same and how they are different; make your own lighthouse;

lighthouse1

text and illustration copyright Sophie Blackall 2018

Why I Like This Book: Any of you who have hung around this blog for any length of time know that I love Nantucket and have visited many times since I was a year old.  I learned to walk there, as a matter of fact 🙂  So it’s probably not much of a surprise that I have a fondness for lighthouses, especially Brant Point, Great Point, and Sankaty 🙂  I love this book because it gives the feel of the courage and loneliness of the lighthouse and its keeper as well as a glimpse of a job that had such historical significance but is now obsolete.  The art is gorgeous and takes you right to the beach and the ocean and the wide open sky, the wind and fog, the sunshine and storms.  I love all the little extras – the undersides of the clouds that look like flying birds, the little seaside knickknacks, the play lighthouse lantern in the child’s hand at the end that is a replica of the real lighthouse in the story.  The text has a lovely cadence to it that is a delight to read aloud.  All around a wonderful book!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!


Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

 

16 thoughts on “Perfect Picture Book Friday – Hello Lighthouse”

  1. Maria Marshall (@MariaMarshall_) says:
    Reply

    Susanna, I read this book the other day. It is beautiful and amazing. I love the ending where the lighthouse shines a light toward shore & the house shines a light back to the lighthouse. I am so in awe of Sophie’s illustrations. I agree that this is a wonderful book.

  3. Sue Heavenrich says:
    Reply

    I love lighthouses. They are such beacons of hope – and play an important role in safety as well as history. Hope to find a copy of this book to read.

  7. julie rowan zoch says:
    Reply

    The illustrations are dreamy! A couple of years ago I finally found the inland tandem lighthouse to a coastal one near my parent’s house in Delaware. Still looking for more info on it! Definitely miss such things being landlocked!

    • Susanna Leonard Hill says:
      Reply

      I guess that’s true, Julie! I’ve been to Nantucket many times, and I grew up in Manhattan and used to always contort myself any time we were on the West Side Highway to try to see the Little Red Lighthouse tucked in next to the George Washington Bridge!

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