Beacons of Light: A Journey Through the World of Lighthouses
This is an atmospheric and informative picturebook that explores the history, technology and human ingenuity behind the world’s lighthouses. Koomen’s lively prose propels her readers to sail the seven seas and encounter these marvellous beacons of light, from the fist century’s Roman Tower of Hercules to the twenty-first century’s automated lighthouses.
Koomen introduces readers to these remarkable maritime structures and the people who designed, built and maintained them. Importantly, she acknowledges the life-saving skills of lighthouse keepers such as Ida Lewis and others. The writing style is lyrical, giving factual information the emotional shape and momentum of a story.
The gouache and pencil artwork gives the lighthouses an almost magical presence by placing tiny human figures against vast, windswept seascapes. This contrast emphasises both the scale of the structures and the formidable power of the sea. The external designs of various lighthouses around the world are carefully researched and depicted, while the double-page spread on pages eighteen and nineteen is devoted to the internal body of the building as a lighthouse keeper’s home. Koomen’s artwork does more than decorate the text – it creates atmosphere, supplies visual information and encourages close observation. Irish readers will take special delight in the pictorial inclusion of Wexford’s Hook Lighthouse and Cork’s Fastnet Lighthouse.
This beautiful picturebook is a gentle reminder that even when conditions are dark and stormy, there are always ways to create, share and find light in this world. A perfect book for readers who are fascinated by the sea, engineering or history.
