Blackall, Sophie. Hello Lighthouse. New York, Little Brown & Company, 2018.
Hello Lighthouse is written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. It is a 2019 Caldecott Medal winner. It is a story about lighthouses from a lightkeeper’s point of view. It is designed for children ages range 4-8, preschool through third grade.
We are introduced to the lighthouse, with it saying “hello” to its new keeper. We learn the various ways in which a keeper tends to the lighthouse, such as polishing the lens, refilling oil, and trimming the wick. In addition, he fishes, drinks tea, and writes letters. In time, a boat called a tender comes to bring fresh supplies… and the keeper’s wife. She meets the lighthouse and falls into their routine of guiding ships in the sea. The keeper helps the lighthouse by clanging a bell when its light cannot penetrate the fog. They care for shipwreck survivors. The keeper’s wife works with the lighthouse when he is ill and unable. We see the family grow with the birth of a new baby. In time, the tender comes again with fresh supplies and news. A new light, which does not require the care of a keeper, will be installed in the lighthouse. The lighthouse will be able to guide the ships on its own. The keeper, wife, and child move from the lighthouse to a home on the shore where they can continue to say hello.
The book size mimics the features of a lighthouse in that it is taller and thinner than other children’s books. The author uses repeated patterns of “hello!” and writing in the log book to guide the reader. The layout is varied to add interest with some pages including port window pictures of activities, such as tending for the shipwreck survivors, and others covering a full spread, such as the aurora borealis lights. This makes it easy to follow, yet interesting to read. The illustrations are beautifully realistic. They portray the story with crisp lines and sharp detail. There are a wide range of hues and values including soft seafoam green, bright pink, deep black, and foggy gray. The illustrator also uses lines with her work to guide the eye as in the art depicting the storm. The book is 44 pages, each one includes text and/or illustrations to enhance the story.
Hello Lighthouse combines fiction and non-fiction and could work well as a summer reading assignment, particularly for those who live near a lighthouse. The art in this book will likely get the readers’ attention; the story will keep it.
Book Notes 