Australian author Sophie Blackall is back with
another Caldecott Medal-winning title, Hello
Lighthouse. The first for Finding
Winnie in 2016 was also the first time the Caldecott was awarded to an
Australian creator.
Hello
Lighthouse is exquisite. The story is a realistic portrayal
of the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his lighthouse and the dedicated
service demanded by the role.
The full-page illustrations in Chinese ink and
watercolour on hot-press paper draw attention to effort, quality, elegance of
design and layout that together as a team, make this an experience.
The
new keeper arrives to replace the old. He must polish the
lens, refill the oil, wind the clockwork that keeps the lamp in motion and keep
his logbook up to date. These repetitious duties are undertaken with love. There is an open plan of the lighthouse that
allows children an inside view of the round live-in levels and activities that
take place.
There is just the sound of the wind and the
crashing of the waves to keep the man company. Letters to his wife are sent in
a bottle with the sea. The beacon is the only light in the darkness. A ship
called the tender is his only contact, until it delivers his wife.
This beautifully told story speaks of loneliness,
solitude and isolation. It tells of the lighthouse keeper’s responsibility and
the dangers involved. When sailors need saving he risks his life to reach them.
The changing seasons bring challenges. The sea
freezes over in winter. Icebergs pass on
their journey south. Storms force him to strap himself to the railings as
he searches the horizon with his telescope.
There is birth and sickness. In times of need, his
role is taken up by his wife. The form of their lives rotates and repeats until
their tenure ends. While everything around it changes, the lighthouse stays the
same.
A two-page Note from the Author at the end of the
story gives a deep and valuable insight into the devoted keeper’s role. It is
another story on its own that informs about the hundreds of women appointed as
lighthouses keepers, how daily rituals are combined with constant maintenance,
and how water and food was supplied to the lighthouse by the tender, along with
other interesting facts.
This is a book collector’s dream. Stunning in every
way, text and illustration are inseparable in their glow.
Title:
Hello Lighthouse
Author/Illustrator:
Sophie Blackall
Publisher:
Hachette, $24.99
Publication
Date: February 2019
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781408357163
For
ages: 5+
Type:
Picture Book
