Hello Lighthouse (Caldecott Medal Winner)

I had seen this on a few booklists but didn’t know too much about it - so glad I listened to recommendations and bought it! My two year old LOVES being read to and this quickly became one of his most requested books. The bonus is that it is so enjoyable to read for me as well! Beautiful artwork and a sweet, well researched story, with a whole back inside cover full of the author’s research so we can understand where she got the difference elements from. I especially loved the baby being born in the lighthouse (toddler always squeals with joy when we get to the baby) and the sweet twist to the ending. Will definitely be looking into more books by Sophie Blackall after this!

This was such a unique book with great details. It's not the usual size or shape, instead, it mimics the lighthouse it refers to, with its tall narrow shape. ⁠⁠Hello Lighthouse is the story of a lighthouse keeper and his family as they care for the lighthouse that is their home. We see several images throughout the book of cameos of the lives of the keepers, but we also see the lighthouse standing through various weather situations and challenges of nature, continuously providing light to both greet and guide travelers safely to their destination. ⁠⁠The illustrations add to the uniqueness of this book. Using rounded or circular shapes gives the reader feels a sense of watching the lighthouse keeper and his family through an old-fashioned spyglass. The roundness of the images echo the shape of the lighthouse and the layout of their living spaces. They also lend a sense of going around in a circle or cycle, the way the light beam of the lighthouse, or the hands of a clock, constantly spins.⁠⁠The author did noticeable research about lighthouse keepers in the course of writing this book. At the back, she includes information about lighthouse keepers from history and provides more information and resources if the reader wants to do some research of their own. ⁠⁠The inclusion of a wide variety of elements, such as ships, sea creatures, and elements of nature, along with the uniqueness of a story based on a lighthouse will add to the allure of the book. ⁠

Great art, beautiful story, and very engaging. My kids (aged 7 and under) especially loved the cut out view of the light house.

Purchased this for my two year old grandson and he likes the story and the illustrations are very colorful. My grandson loves the beach, so he was having fun pointing out the pictures and describing what each thing was. Very nice hard cover story book that will last and be read again for his baby brother.

This is my grandsons new favorite book to read when he comes to visit. He loves pointing out all the details in the beautifully illustrated pages. We read it over and over. He is almost 3 so he sometimes gets inpatient and we skip a page here and there. It may be geared to 3+ Even so, he loves it and I can see us reading it for many years to come. My grand daughter is 1 and she likes to come by from time to time and look at the illustrations. I see this book being one that I keep as an heirloom.

A lovely children's book. I liked how the story progressed.

I hope I'll be forgiven for overstating the case for this book. First, I was enchanted by the careful beauty of her illustrations, which are detailed without ever breaking the spell of the "being there" in her world. Second, it brought me and wife to tears when we read it for the first time, and after searching for a reason we said that the book was incredibly human. In a world where so much seems to be inhuman and political, this book talks about simple things, real things, beautiful things. Third, this is a book that will not just make a child learn about lighthouses, or like lighthouses. It is a book that will make a child fall in love with lighthouses, and I think children are desperately in need of less "learning" and more falling in love. This book is probably not flashy enough to win many awards, but that is exactly why I am so grateful for it being written and so glad to think of my children reading it for years to come. It is a true children's book and a rare gift.

This is a really cute story with great illustrations. My son is kind of getting to the point where these types of books are a little too simplistic, but he liked it. In fact we read it 3 times in a row after unboxing it.The second time around, we really focused on the pictures and talked about what we were seeing. It didn’t take my son long to point out that there is no bathroom; which then prompted a 30 minute discussion about where the guy and his family poop. Gotta love the dialogues with a 4 year old boy...My son kept asking me where he poops. So I told him he probably climbs to the top and poops over the railing. But, he did notice that the top is skinnier than the bottom and the poop would just splat on the side of the lighthouse and then run down.So I then suggested that maybe he poops in his coal bucket then throws it over the side. But this didn’t assuage his curiosity either. He noticed it seemed to be very windy and stated that if he threw the poop over the side it would just blow back in his face, or get stuck on the hook down on the rocks. Which then turned into about 5 minutes of him telling how funny it would be if his poop got stuck on the hook because then he’d have “caught a brown trout”.I sure do love my son and he definitely got his papa’s humor.Anyway. This is a cute book. I highly suggest getting it. And when you’re done reading it, ask your kid where the man goes poop. Aside from funny little dialogues, it’ll help your child explore stories and illustrations more critically.

Our family loves the beautiful illustrations and poetic story about isolation, love, and family. This is Sophie Blackall at her finest.

This book will make you swoon and sigh with its poignant and emotional storytelling, the illustrations are worth framing. Absolutely delightfully beautiful!

Un libro particolare e affascinante. Bellissimo concetto, anche se forse un pochino difficile da spiegare ad un bimbo piccolo. Raccomando!

Bought to use as English text. Really beautiful illustrations- great planning to accompany the book on literacy shed - year 4

My daughter really enjoys reading the book