If you have been reading this blog you will know I am a huge fan of lighthouses. On my recent trip I saw a sad little lighthouse under a modern bridge and it made me think of The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde H Swift and Lynd Ward (1942). By chance just prior to my trip a good friend gave me a copy of the Caldecott Medal winner from 2019 - Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall so today I thought I would talk about these two wonderful books.
Here is the Kyleakin lighthouse under the bridge from mainland Scotland over to Skye. This is the lighthouse that made me think about The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge.
Here are some details about the Kyleakin lighthouse:
"The 70 foot tall lighthouse, designed by David (1815-81) and Thomas (1818-87) Stevenson, was built in 1857.
Thomas Stevenson was the father of the author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94).
When first built the light itself was fuelled by sperm whale oil, and
displayed a central white beam flanked by a red and a green beam.
|
The lighthouse was finally decommissioned in 1993. The channel into Loch
Alsh was then marked by the large red and green buoys that can be seen running
east and west from the lighthouse. After decommissioning the lighthouse was
denoted as a day mark, which means that it remains a landmark that it is used
for navigation during the day, and must therefore continue to be kept in good
condition."
The Little Red Lighthouse, in the book and in reality, stands on the Hudson River which runs beside New York City. Every evening the lighthouse keeper climbs the stairs and lights the lamp so the lighthouse can beam out a warning about the rocks just below the surface. One day some men arrive and the little red lighthouse watches as they build a "strange new gray thing (with) huge towers that seemed to touch the sky." This is the George Washington Bridge and it made the little red lighthouse feel "very, very small."
The little red lighthouse is worried. Perhaps it won't be needed any more. The lighthouse keeper does not come in the evening to light the lamp but that night their is a wild storm. A fat black tug boat crashes against the rocks. Finally the lighthouse keeper arrives.
"And now beside the great beacon of the bridge the small beam of the lighthouse still flashes. ... And every day the people who go up River side Drive in New York City turn to look at it. For there they both are - the great gray bridge and the little red lighthouse."
The little red lighthouse is worried. Perhaps it won't be needed any more. The lighthouse keeper does not come in the evening to light the lamp but that night their is a wild storm. A fat black tug boat crashes against the rocks. Finally the lighthouse keeper arrives.
"And now beside the great beacon of the bridge the small beam of the lighthouse still flashes. ... And every day the people who go up River side Drive in New York City turn to look at it. For there they both are - the great gray bridge and the little red lighthouse."
Here is a vintage video of the whole story complete with a terrific sound track. I was thrilled to discover a musical was made in 2019 based on this story.
Now we jump forward to 2019 and Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall. The first thing to notice is the format of the book. It is long and tall like a lighthouse. On the end papers we can see a photo of the lighthouse keeper and his new bride, a piece of embroidery and a fragment of a letter to Alice. There is a also a pebble, some dried seaweed and a pen. My copy of this book is a paperback so I cannot share the final end paper with you.
As the story begins we read about the daily routine of the lighthouse keeper. He enjoys his work but he is lonely. He is waiting for the arrival of Alice, his wife. The lighthouse beams out hello hello hello. There is fog and ice and illness and finally a baby is born. One day a letter arrives. It is time to automate the lighthouse and the keeper and his family will need to move on.
This is a book to visit over and over again. There are so many beautiful details especially when Sophie Blackall 'slices' the lighthouse open so we can see all the rooms. Look for little details like the fabrics used on Alice's dresses, the floor rug that looks like the ocean and slippers worn by their child.
A fascinating, splendidly executed peek into both the mundane and the dramatic aspects of lighthouse life. Kirkus
Blackall’s gorgeous illustrations are a mix of homey detail (especially in the interior cutaways of the lighthouse) and spectacular scenery (as the seasons pass, we see stormy nights and foggy days; northern lights; icebergs and whales). Horn Book
Using pictures to tell the story of a steadfast lighthouse and its faithful keeper, Hello Lighthouse is a gift for children. Amid this world’s stormy seas, it is a beacon of light shining bright with truth, goodness, and beauty. Horn Book
Check out these teaching ideas from The School Library Journal. Here is an interview with Sophie where she talks about her extensive research for this book. You can also see many of the illustrations and hear an interview with Sophie herself.
As the story begins we read about the daily routine of the lighthouse keeper. He enjoys his work but he is lonely. He is waiting for the arrival of Alice, his wife. The lighthouse beams out hello hello hello. There is fog and ice and illness and finally a baby is born. One day a letter arrives. It is time to automate the lighthouse and the keeper and his family will need to move on.
This is a book to visit over and over again. There are so many beautiful details especially when Sophie Blackall 'slices' the lighthouse open so we can see all the rooms. Look for little details like the fabrics used on Alice's dresses, the floor rug that looks like the ocean and slippers worn by their child.
A fascinating, splendidly executed peek into both the mundane and the dramatic aspects of lighthouse life. Kirkus
Blackall’s gorgeous illustrations are a mix of homey detail (especially in the interior cutaways of the lighthouse) and spectacular scenery (as the seasons pass, we see stormy nights and foggy days; northern lights; icebergs and whales). Horn Book
Using pictures to tell the story of a steadfast lighthouse and its faithful keeper, Hello Lighthouse is a gift for children. Amid this world’s stormy seas, it is a beacon of light shining bright with truth, goodness, and beauty. Horn Book
Check out these teaching ideas from The School Library Journal. Here is an interview with Sophie where she talks about her extensive research for this book. You can also see many of the illustrations and hear an interview with Sophie herself.
I have a Pinterest with art and craft ideas if you are exploring lighthouses. Here are some teaching ideas and ways to extend this text using other fiction and non fiction books.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Lighthouse
No comments:
Post a Comment