A Picnic at the Lighthouse. Rebecca North. Illustrated by Nancy Keating. St. John’s, NL: Tuckamore Books/Creative Publishing, 2016. 32 pp., pbk., $12.95. ISBN 978-1-77103-082-3. Preschool-grade 3 / Ages 4-8. Review by Courtney Penney. *** /4

excerpt:

Patrick and his Dad walked up a long gravel road to the top of a hill.

As they walked, the gravel crunched under Patrick’s shoes. The sun felt warm on his shoulders. A cool, salty breeze blew through his hair. In the sky, seabirds called out to each other.

At the end of the path, they found a big red lighthouse. They walked up to the lighthouse and stood right at the bottom. Patrick looked up. The lighthouse reached all the way up to the clouds. There was a big glass room at the top.

During my childhood, I visited the rocky cliffs of Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador. My family didn’t vacation often so, when we spent a week in Central Newfoundland, I was excited. While in Twillingate, we walked a long trail and reached the lighthouse. The ostentatious red lighthouse stuck out like a sore thumb. However, I realized the importance of the lighthouse in rural Newfoundland. My dad was a fisherman, and the lighthouse helped him get to shore many times when the fog was thick and the winds were high.

     North’s story of picnicking near Newfoundland lighthouses brought me back to my visit to the lighthouse. The young boy Patrick and his father pack up for the day and head to the lighthouse. Along the way, Patrick tells his dad how much he loves various things: the lighthouse, the lemonade, whales and chocolate cake. On the way home, Patrick falls asleep, and his dad tells him that he loves him.

     A Picnic at the Lighthouse will pull on your heartstrings. While the author tells a tale of a young boy who is enjoying a beautiful summer’s day with his father, the story covers themes bigger than this. The unconditional love Patrick’s father has for his son becomes apparent. There are many children’s books that clearly define maternal love, but paternal love is not discussed as often. The message of a father’s love in children’s literature is one that should become a bigger part of the discourse.

     Keating’s work is not to be overlooked. Her images give this book a deeper substance and transport readers to scenic views in Newfoundland and Labrador. She is very detailed in her work. For example, every feature can be seen on the seagull, and, when displaying parts of the community, she paints saltbox houses trimmed in vivid colours.

     Though local in scope, A Picnic at the Lighthouse can be enjoyed by children regardless of location. This book will contribute greatly to story times in the library, classroom or at home.

Highly Recommended.

Courtney Penney is the Regional Librarian for Central Division with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries. She lives in Gander, NL.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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