Hello Lighthouse review by Sarah Bartholomew
Bibliography
Blackall, Sophie. Hello Lighthouse. New York: Little, Brown Books, 2018. ISBN 9780316362382
Summary
Hello Lighthouse follows the life of a man as he begins his job as the keeper at the lighthouse. His life is simple and lonely until his wife is brought to the lighthouse. Together they face all that life in a lighthouse brings. They aid sailors who have shipwrecked. When the husband falls ill, she takes care of both him and the lighthouse. The seasons pass on and the wife and husband are blessed with a baby. The family grows together tending to the lighthouse until the day they are informed a keeper is no longer needed. The lighthouse is now run by a machine and stands empty and alone. Across the way, the family that once kept the lighthouse lives, admiring the lighthouse from afar.
Critical Analysis
The illustrations for Hello Lighthouse are colorful while still creating a calming effect that reminds one of the seas. Each page allows the reader to truly feel like they are watching the story unravel right before their eyes. The reader is a part of the story as the illustrations have an immersive element to them.
Being able to see the personal struggles of the keeper, the readers are invested in his well-being. This story is not one of excitement or twists and turns. The overall tone is more tranquil just as the ocean surrounding the lighthouse often is. There are times when the sea is less than kind, and the illustration draws the reader into the moment of chaos. The traditional “plotline” with rising action, conflict, climax, and resolution is not found in this particular piece. Rather, it merely follows the life of a lighthouse and its keeper. We see the day-to-day events as the years pass on.
Review Excerpt(s)
2019 CALDECOTT MEDAL
From Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Mary Fellows: “Children will delight in immersing themselves in the captivating discoveries each new look at ‘Hello Lighthouse’ will bring
From School Library Journal: “a jewel of a creation”
From New York Times Bruce Handy: “I will be surprised if a more exquisite picture book is published this year.”
Connections
Gather other Caldecott Medal books to read such as
Alexander, Kwame. The Undefeated. ISBN 9780358057611
Cordell, Matthew. Wolf in the Snow. ISBN 9781783448548
Gather other Sophie Blackall books to read such as
If You Come to Earth ISBN 9781443181938
Are You Awake ISBN 9781448645251
Use with The Game of Light and The Dark to learn more about how light can help when it is dark and the
Handler, Daniel. The Dark. ISBN 9781408330036
Tullet, Herve. The Game of Light. ISBN 9780714861890
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