“Here is a ship that holds her place.” So begins the simple, lighthearted, and poetic text that describes the role of the U. S. lightship Ambrose, a ship that stayed anchored close to shore in all weather and acted as a floating lighthouse to other passing vessels. Cheerful and appealing ink and watercolor illustrations highlight the work of the captain and his crew, including helmsman, oiler, engineer, deckhand, fireman, radioman, messman, cook, and an inquisitive orange cat as they work, sleep, and keep the ship in shape. We look in on the kitchen, the engine room, and even the head (the bathroom), and, most important, to the powerful light high up on the mast. “And when the fog comes creeping in, the crew knows what to do. They sound the horn so loud the whole ship shakes.” “BEEOOH,” blares the horn, and we see crew members covering their ears and the cat leaping up in alarm. When they shine that bright light, it marks the way so other ships see it and sail home safe.

The Ambrose, or Light Vessel 87, a lightship that is now docked at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City, was the real life model for Floca’s meticulous illustrations. Even the youngest children will gain a working knowledge of lightships, the last of which was decommissioned in 1983, and how they worked back in the day in this engrossing informational book which won a Sibert Honor in 2008. Brian Floca’s splendid website, www.brianfloca.com, is packed with coloring pages, links to photos and further information about lightships, and even free plans for building a paper model of the Ambrose.


Themes: LIGHTSHIPS. SHIPS.