cover image The Lighthouse Keeper's Catastrophe

The Lighthouse Keeper's Catastrophe

Ronda Armitage. Andre Deutsch, $10.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-233-97891-8

Mr. and Mrs. Grinling take care of the lighthouse togetherhe is the keeper and she sends him scrumptious basket lunches via a line between their home and the lighthouse. Mr. Grinling is always careful to keep his key handy. One day, thanks to the cat's misbehaving and a string of unhappy events, the lighthouse keeper finds himself locked out of the tower, unable to get to the light that will help ships in a coming storm. Mrs. Grinling's ingenuity saves them all when she finds a way to get Mr. Grinling into the lighthouse, despite his fears of darkness, storms and heights. The funny, mocking tone of the text, as well as the sun-filled watercolors of beaches and atmospheric depictions of storm-tossed seas, give this tale of cooperation and duty an atmosphere that will appeal to both children and parents. (4-8)