The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

While Father is away for weeks, Miranda has to keep the lamps burning in the lighthouse. Her mother is afraid of heights, so Miranda has to climb the steps daily, refill the lamps with whale oil, trim the wicks, clean the glass chimneys and shine the reflectors. A raging tempest whips at her on the catwalk, shaking the foundation of the lighthouse and the island on which it stands. Miranda keeps tending the lamps till Father returns with supplies, seeds for her garden, and soil to grow them in. In spring, grateful sailors bring more rich soil for the rock-covered island. This is an engaging story of a very special place where the timeless drama of sea, sailors and lighthouses is enacted. The well-written text is matched by highly theatrical watercolors of fiery yellow in a sea of white froth and frost; paintings show a gray and craggy island coast and, come spring, the explosion of colors in Miranda's garden. Ages 4-8. (September)