The lighthouse keeper

PreS-Gr 2--Lyrical text beckons readers into this story about a lighthouse keeper. For those traveling at sea, the lighthouse keeper plays an important role in guiding them on their way, helping them to avoid a catastrophic fate out on the dark waters. Providing safety and a guiding light, the lighthouse keeper also keeps track of the moon, who watches him from above as they share one another's company. Illustrations created with vivid colors that pop on a dark background--especially pinks and yellows--depict the lighthouse keeper with hair and beard made of fish, the lighthouse tall and bright in the dark, as well as the despair and the perilous fate that seems to befall some at sea. Each highly graphic, modern-looking spread has short, rhyming sentences that state facts, but in a laudatory, anthemlike way. VERDICT Touching upon the importance of a lighthouse keeper, this picture book is a good choice for children's collections and for those in search of this compelling, but little-mentioned, occupation.--Selenia Paz

No need to fear--the lighthouse keeper is here! Alone amid a sea of restless waves and pitch-black nights, a lone lighthouse keeper rescues those in need. Snazzily dressed in round blue spectacles and a yellow and green striped suit with wide lapels, the keeper "embraces everyone he finds lost and alone, // and they leave feeling better / eager to get back home." His most loving and complicated relationship is with the moon, the very entity controlling the vast waters he safeguards. He works on building their bond through waters calm and stormy, and eventually they form a genuine connection. This is a stunning look at the power of compassion and resilience, as well as the need to respect nature. Maude's fantastic translation of Mexican author Fernández Vázquez's original Spanish text is playful, with a rhyme scheme that scans well. Villanueva Segovia's textured illustrations are beautifully scaled, capturing the awe of the quiet yet sometimes violent activity of the oceans--showcased in harrowing spreads of sailors caught in a shipwreck and waves crashing against rocks in bright pastel tones set against a deep rich black backdrop--while still maintaining a sense of whimsy throughout (the lighthouse keeper's beard is composed of hundreds of small fish that lovingly wrap themselves around the people he saves). The keeper is pale-skinned; those caught up in the waves are a ghostly white. A remarkable look at the importance of selfless acts.(Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.