★ A New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2025
★A 2025 Foreword INDIES Finalist
"A remarkable look at the importance of selfless acts."―Kirkus Reviews
The coast can be a dangerous place, especially in stormy weather. Fortunately for us, out in the middle of the sea lives the lighthouse keeper, a remarkable person who dedicates his life to saving the lost and shipwrecked. You'd think he'd be lonely out there all on his own, but he has a secret friend who visits him when he least expects and most needs it.
These enchanting, beautifully illustrated verses tell a tale of selflessness, resilience, and love, showing us that help is at hand even in our darkest, scariest moments.
About the Author :
Eugenio Fernández Vázquez is a Mexican journalist, editor, and writer. He holds a degree in journalism from ITESM in Mexico City and a master of science in environment and development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the chief editor at La Cigarra, a Mexican publishing house specializing in history books and essays. He has also translated several titles that appeared under that label. His texts have appeared in magazines and newspapers in Spain, Mexico, and the United States, and he is a regular contributor to Revista de la Universidad, at UNAM, and Pie de Página.Mariana Villanueva Segovia is a Mexican designer with a degree in Design from the National School of Plastic Arts (UNAM). She holds a master's degree in illustration from both EINA in Barcelona and ESAT in Valencia. Her work has earned several prestigious awards, including second place at the Sharjah Exhibition for Children in the United Arab Emirates, third place in the XXII Catalogue of Illustrators (FILIJ), an honorable mention in the Third Ibero-American Illustration Catalogue, and an honorable mention in the picture book competition A la orilla del viento by FCE. Additionally, she was awarded the Prize for Excellence at the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Her artwork has been exhibited in Mexico, Japan, Colombia, Italy, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.Kit Maude is a translator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has translated dozens of Latin American and Spanish writers for a wide array of publications and writes reviews for Ñ, Otra Parte, and the Times Literary Supplement.
Review :
"Am I the only one reminded of Tomi Ungerer when I look at this book? This story concerns a kindly lighthouse keeper who doesn't just light his beacon every evening, but is on the perpetual lookout for anything and anyone that needs his help. Please take note of the fishy beard."--Fuse 8, a School Library Journal blog by Betsy Bird.
STARRED REVIEW! "No need to fear--the lighthouse keeper is here! Alone amid a sea of restless waves and pitch-black nights, a lone lighthouse keeper rescues those in need ... This is a stunning look at the power of compassion and resilience, as well as the need to respect nature. Maude's fantastic translation of Mexican author Fernández Vázquez's original Spanish text is playful, with a rhyme scheme that scans well. Villanueva Segovia's textured illustrations are beautifully scaled, capturing the awe of the quiet yet sometimes violent activity of the oceans...while still maintaining a sense of whimsy throughout. A remarkable look at the importance of selfless acts."--Kirkus Reviews
"Touching upon the importance of a lighthouse keeper, this picture book is a good choice for children's collections and for those in search of this compelling, but little-mentioned, -occupation." --School Library Journal
"Segovia's magical-realist art is playful and energetic. She draws the long beard of the lighthouse keeper -- who lives "out where the foam starts its fizzing, and you don't know if the beach is ending or beginning" -- as a shoal of sardines, cascading from his chin like the surging sea itself. Though isolated, the keeper is a cheerful, colorful fellow who's eager to help anyone in need. Standing on the deck at the top of a pink and red lighthouse, he wears a yellow suit with lime-green stripes, himself a beacon of neon on the blackest of nights. In one image, as he embraces a nearly lost soul whom he's rescued, his beard, too, gently wraps around the sailor. And his dance of friendship with the warm, winking, bright-white moon, who "tells him about her travels across the world" and brings him news of storms and gales and waves, provides a beautiful, glowing visual counterpoint to this tale of selfless valor and compassion."--The New York Times
"A surreal neon dream, this picture book is an ode to the sea, to connection, and to weathering the storm. Neon pinks, yellows, greens, and blues leap out from dark backdrops, depicting the lighthouse keeper's ever-growing beard of small fishes, desperate sailors swirling in stormy seas, and the wink of a crescent moon as she bids farewell for another phase. Rhyming lines complete this enchanting picture book about a lonely, steadfast lighthouse keeper and the natural world that keeps him company." --Foreword Review
"If you find yourself on stormy seas, you'll want this lighthouse keeper to be there! This magnificent character, rendered visually stunning by illustrator Mariana Villanueva Segovia, is dedicated to rescuing everyone who finds themselves in peril. The choice of colours in the illustrations is sometimes surprising but always powerful ... But one wouldn't expect anything less from a character who is friends with the Moon. The award-winning story emphasises compassion and respect for nature, while the rhyming text imitates the undulation of the sea." -- WorldKidLit
