A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 246

Picture Book: Lightship

Author & Illustrator: Brian Floca

Summary: Anchored on waters where lighthouses could not be built, lightships served similar purposes, offering beacons of light, loud horns, and radio signals warning passing ships of rocks, shoals, reefs, or shipwrecks. This picture book offers specific details about what life was like for lightship sailors as they held their one sure spot so that other, much larger vessels, would be safe as they passed. Illustrations and text offer details of the compartments and equipment of a lightship and the varying atmospheric conditions, particularly the close quarters and the sometimes dangerous rendezvous with ships. An interesting historical note in the back will offer more detailed material. The end papers have a fascinating cross-section drawing of the layout of a particular lightship that inspired this illustrator's drawings. That lightship is now docked in New York City.

Hanna’s Comments: This is such a fun book! Most of us know about lighthouses, but who knew about lightships! Encourage your audience to look for the cat in most of the illustrations. Consider what it must have been like for the sailors to be isolated so long, stuck in the waters and vulnerable to the weather and the huge ships that they were there to protect. There are lots of possibilities for conversation and connections to scripture here.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Antheneum Books, 2007

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and up, Pre and up

# of Pages: 48

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: Tablet

PBT Category: Non-fiction

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: America, beach/ocean/pond/river/sea/shore, bravery/courage, call/calling/vocation, challenges, commitment, communication, danger, dependence/interdependence, difficulties, directions/maps, geography, God’s nature, helping, heroes, hiding/isolation, heroes, labor/work, light/morning, loneliness, obstacles, protecting/protection, purpose, risking, rocks/shells/stones, safety, storms, unity, waiting, water, weather

Scripture Connections: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105); let your light shine before others. (Matthew 5:16); the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5); I am the light of the world. (John 8:12)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this book for an interesting lesson on light. Make connections between the light of the lightships and the various kinds of light in the Holy Scriptures.