Hello Lighthouse

Caldecott Medal, 2019

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Justification: I was impressed by Ms. Blackall's extensive research into lighthouses as she developed her idea for this book. She even spent time living in a lighthouse on a small island in the northern tip of Newfoundland as part of her fact-finding mission. The book is factually accurate and also includes elements of fantasy. The reader observes the life-cycle of the lighthouse keeper with the changes in the sea and sky as the keeper keeps watch over the light.

Evaluation: Stunning, detailed pen and ink and full-color watercolor artists renderings dominate this book both written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The images are dominated by hues of blue and greens, evoking and reflecting the sea. The brilliant design and sneak peak into the goings-on of a lighthouse include a cutaway image revealing the keeper inside doing his chores. Blackall depicts these images in an almost voyeuristic fashion, much to the delight of the reader. We feel as though we are being let in on a secret----and we are. Her meticulous research shows the actual duties and responsibilities of a lighthouse keeper. Everything from keeping a log to refilling the oil and maintaining the wick of the lamp, the keeper keeps watch throughout the night. The changes of the seasons and the roiling of the ocean morph and change as the life of the keeper changes. We bear witness into the details of the life of the keeper as we see him dutifully maintaining his log, and we watch the arrival of his wife and the birth of his child. The lighthouse blinks "Hello, Hello, Hello..." and the wind and the sea both bellow "Hello, Hello, Hello...". The lighthouse is indeed a character in the book as much as the keeper and his wife.

Everything about this book is exhaustive in its detail. In the inside cover of the book before the verso, Blackall depicts some of the lighthouse keeper's treasured possessions. The images are in black and white and convey a sense of being from an unknown time in a different age. We see a spool of thread and some embroidery of a bird with the needle and thread tucked into place. (Indeed, there was a lot of spare time in the lighthouse even with all of the chores and maintenance). There is a beautiful fountain pen over a handwritten letter to his wife, whose name we learn in Alice. We also see their wedding photo, in fine regalia, with a self-referential image of a lighthouse in the background.

The illustrations help to establish a cosy mood and the visual elements are impressive. Blackhall's use of line, shape, color, texture and composition are masterful. Curved, scalloped, and swirling lines all convey movement, either by the wind or the waves of the sea. She uses round shapes for the porthole windows and soft rounded shapes for the people she depicts. Cool pale greens and blues dominate the picture book; we are constantly reminded of the sea, even inside the lighthouse, which the keeper paints a pale, soft green. The pen and ink renderings create lovely texture. The surfaces of the rocks upon which the lighthouse sits and the reflection in the sea of the stunning aurora borealis in the sky are two such examples.

Conclusion: This beautifully composed picture book is a whimsical delight. I would recommend it for a read-aloud for it's brilliant illustrations. It's also a pleasure to read solo to sink into all of the nooks and crannies Blackhall creates with her pen.

APA Reference: Blackall, S. (2018). Hello lighthouse. New York : Little, Brown and Company.