Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When new boat Brightness appears in the harbor, Lighthouse urges, "Stick close to me. I'll keep you safe," and the newbie gratefully "nestled in the foam at Lighthouse's feet." But the sailboat gradually grows more intrepid, and one cold day disappears past Lighthouse's horizon view. Seasons pass as "Lighthouse watched and waited and worried," especially when an epic winter storm arrives. Eventually, a battered Brightness appears between the waves, and Lighthouse expertly guides the ship back home, refusing to take any credit for the rescue ("You saved yourself. I only lit the way"). Mantle's digital renderings employ watercolor, ink, and pastel for painterly page-filling vistas of the sea; both Brightness and Lighthouse have amiable faces with googly eyes and expressive mouths. The duo's relationship easily echoes that between caregiver and child in this peppy maritime tale about the anchoring support that allows independence to grow. Ages 4--8. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--In a book that in art style alone pays homage to Virgina Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and The Little House, Lighthouse and a small boat named Brightness conjure up a friendship. In that friendship are parallels to the trials of growing up and to the bittersweet parental push toward a child's self-reliance. Brightness wants to go beyond the harbor, and one day, does. Lighthouse is okay with that, until summer seas give way to wintry ones and the little boat is missing. Then Lighthouse has to summon strength and shine bright, providing the guiding light for Brightness's return to safe waters. This story has everything a preschooler could love: a buddy story, soft old-fashioned drawings, an adventure with just enough suspense, and a hopeful ending that Brightness will be encouraged to see beyond the horizon, but can always return to Lighthouse's glow. The writing is spare and fluid, making this ideal for reading aloud to a group or just one child. The illustrations have the sweep and grace of old watercolors in a book that no one will read just once. VERDICT A reassuring book for the very young that allows for ambition, curiosity, and homecoming in equal measure, and the knowledge that someone watchful is nearby, if needed. Lovely.--Kimberly Olson Fakih
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young boat ventures off while a nurturing lighthouse worries and waits. Perched in an idyllic harbor, Lighthouse keeps a watchful eye over all the ships that pass by. Along comes a young boat named Brightness, and Lighthouse has all the more reason to glow as she watches out for the newcomer. After a summer of testing nearby waters in the harbor, Brightness disappears, much to Lighthouse's dismay. Seasons pass, and on a stormy night, Brightness finally returns, and Lighthouse guides the boat back to safety. "Even after I left you to see the whole wide world…you led me back home," says Brightness. "That's as it should be," responds Lighthouse. Mantle's illustrations are rich with bright nautical tones; characters are lightly anthropomorphized. Some scenes evoke emotion, especially the one depicting the thrashing, stormy waves, set against a vicious-looking night sky. Rich vocabulary ("rusty trawlers and stately sloops, crusty shrimpers") might intrigue boat enthusiasts. Overall, though, the text is a bit wordy, and the story drags. Readers never find out where Brightness goes all autumn--a missed opportunity to add some drama or complexity to the narrative. Lighthouse serves only to support and calm her community; it's a one-dimensional portrayal of caregiving, in the vein of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree (1964) and other stories across the kid-lit canon. Sweet but underwhelming. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
