Hello Lighthouse (Caldecott Medal Winner)

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.

I give the story itself 5 stars. For our family, it's poetic and beautiful. I like to read stories that create a vision in my children's head rather than stories that spell out every little detail of what is being told in the story. I like picture books that promote beautiful images and inspire young minds to use their imaginations and depict on their own what is happening or about to happen as I read the story to them. This book does that. Although my toddler didn't understand the story, just loved looking at the pictures, my six year old LOVED the story and understood it well. We talked about the sad parts and the beauty of life. He loves this story so much that I decided to buy it for his birthday (we had checked it out at the library previously).This is where my 3 stars comes in. The book jacket cover came with what looks like red crayon on the back of it. I ordered a replacement and that one came with scuff marks on the back and is a little torn on the front. Very minor blemishes, but frustrating nonetheless. I wish the book jacket was more durable for little hands but more importantly more durable to at least arrive in pristine condition. I'm not even sure it's worth trying to re-order another replacement at this point.

At first, I was slightly underwhelmed by the amount of text in the story. However, my intuitive 6 yr old Grandson absolutely loved this book and would not put it down, reading it to me over and over. I fell in love with the simple, and nostalgic telling of "Hello Lighthouse"! The pages are BEAUTIFUL! Everytime I hear/read this story, it takes me out to that lighthouse life more and more. I love the author's commentary inside the cover also. It is now one of my FAVORITE books, a keepsake that everyone would love to read! Great book!

This is an incredibly beautiful book, a marvelous introduction to the lighthouses on this nation's coasts. The narrative gives an impression of the isolation of living in a lighthouse and the responsibilities of the lighthouse keeper through pages of exquisite illustrations, and there are two pages of general information about lighthouses at the end. This is a book to treasure by any child from "mature toddler" to mid-elementary schooler. I'm at the far end of the age continuum, and I love it, too.

A poignant family story. Exquisite artwork. Yes, that was me with a tear in the corner of my eye. The emotional aspects of the story were lost on the little ones -- which is fine by me. For them, it was an engaging story about a family living in and then leaving a lighthouse. A classic.

Stunning pictures. Awesome read aloud. I'd bet money that this will win the Caldecott.

This a real heirloom book, the story is great and depicts the changing seasons around the lighthouse and the pictures are absolutely beautiful. I brought this to read with my children ( ages 5-12) as we study lighthouses and prior to a lighthouse visit. This is my best book purchase in years and I buy a lot of books.

That book is a fabulous. My children love it! Suitable for age 5 to 9 years old.

Amazing pictures but storyline not quite believable as they are not allowed to have family there. But beautiful book

Las ilustraciones son muy bonitas. La recreación de la vida en el faro, sus rutinas y sus cambios estacionales, muy bella.Pensé que igual era demasiado difícil para mi peque de 4 años y me sorprendió lo que le enganchó la historia.

I found this book engaging and colourful, clearly showing for readers and listeners what lighthouse was meant to do and the lives of keepers within it. The art supports the story well.