Kate's light : Kate Walker at Robbins Reef Lighthouse /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The heroic true story of one of the Eastern seaboard's first woman lighthouse keepers, illustrated by a Caldecott Medalist.

Living in the isolated Robbins Reef Lighthouse, overlooking turn-of-the-century New York Harbor, Kate Walker spent her life minding the light, keeping passing ships from running aground on the dangerous shoals. Originally the assistant to her lighthouse keeper husband John Walker, after his death Kate convinced the Lighthouse Board that she was able to manage the hard work on her own.

For more than three decades, Kate lived a solitary life, often totally isolated from the mainland by rough seas and dangerous storms. Tending to the lamps and ringing the heavy warning bell, she helped ships avert disaster-- and saved many sailors from the cold, choppy waters when disaster struck.

Elizabeth Spires describes the joys and hardships of a life at sea, detailing pivotal moments in Walker's life to show her indomitable spirit, and celebrates the determination that drove Kate to keep her home and her livelihood. Paired with Emily Arnold McCully's atmospheric, vivid watercolor-and-ink illustrations of lonely lighthouses, sun-dappled afternoons, and wrathful storms, this gripping picture book brings turn of the century New York to life.

Additional material in the back of the book includes a biographical note about Kate Walker, historical photographs of Kate and her home at Robbins Reef Lighthouse, reproductions of an historical map of New York Harbor, and a list of sources for more information.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
A CCBC Choice

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Kate Walker took charge of Robbins Reef Lighthouse in the Port of New York when her husband died, toiling ceaselessly to give ships safe passage while raising her children and rowing to Staten Island for supplies. A German immigrant to the U.S. with a son, she married lighthouse keeper John Walker, who worked on the mainland until he took the post at isolated Robbins Reef. His wife balked: "Those first few weeks, Kate didn't unpack her trunks." In time, though, her doubts cleared. When their daughter was three, John died of pneumonia: "Mind the light, Kate" were his last words to her. Resisting pressure to leave the lighthouse, she won his position years later, in 1895, having served as assistant keeper during his life. Caldecott Medalist McCully's vivid ink and watercolor spreads bring to life the storms and waves that made Walker's work necessary, and brim with visual information about the lighthouse and the people who depended on it. Chapter book--style writing by Spires (The Big Meow) provides ample context and many anecdotes. An intrepid heroine in a lonely place, Walker had grit that makes for gripping reading. Ages 6--8. (Jan.)

Booklist Review

Spires recounts the true story of Kate Walker, a German immigrant who married lighthouse keeper John Walker and settled at Robbins Reef Light Station off the coast of New Jersey in New York Bay. Walker quickly learned to assist her husband in his duties, and after his death, she tended the station herself from 1886 to 1919. Spires emphasizes the hardships of this lifestyle (five-story living quarters accessible only by ladder, no electricity or indoor plumbing); its physical demands (caring for the lamps and sirens, conducting rescues via rowboat, ringing the station's bell in the fog); and the sheer isolation of living at sea. McCully's illustrations, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor, help to bring this setting and time period to life for younger readers. Green hues predominate (from bright jades to olive grays), often signaling changes in weather. Particularly intriguing are the details of the lighthouse's Fresnel lamp and Kate's many rescues in stormy seas. Appended with further information and sources, this makes a good addition to women's history units. Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020

Horn Book Review

This thorough and visually evocative picture-book biography tells the story of Kate Walker (1848-1931), who became one of the first women to serve as an offshore lighthouse keeper. An archival Currier Ives map of New York Harbor on the endpapers sets the historical scene in the late nineteenth century, when Kate emigrates from Germany. A widow with a small child, she begins work as a cook at Fort Hancock, where she meets and marries John Walker and, after his appointment as lighthouse keeper, settles with him on Robbins Reef. The octagonal iron structure stood on a granite foundation surrounded by water; Spires describes the lighthouse as looking, from far off, like a "tiny candle on a birthday cake." When John dies, Kate remains; four years later she becomes the permanent keeper. Giving equal measure to her devotion to John's last words ("Mind the light, Kate"); her isolation; and her bravery (she rescued fifty people during her near thirty-year career), Spires shows Walker as a quiet heroine meeting challenges calmly and efficiently. McCully's hallmark watercolors support this focus, whether depicting the cramped conditions on Robbins Reef, the pattern of life at the lighthouse, Kate braving dangerous weather, and two spectacular seascapes. Appended with an author's note, documentation, and a bibliography. Betty Carter March/April 2021 p.125(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

A quiet life can contain multitudes. In 1882, Kate Kaird, a German widow, and her young son, Jacob, arrived in the United States in search of a better life. Kate had no way of knowing that she would soon move to a lighthouse, be appointed an assistant keeper, and become one of the first female keepers of an offshore lighthouse on the East Coast. McCully's loose, sweeping, yet specific illustrations combine seamlessly with Spires' clear and engaging description of Kate's new marriage to lighthouse keeper John Walker and subsequent relocation to a lighthouse in New York Bay. Daily rituals--the light was tended, the sirens were prepared to run during storms, and a boat was kept ready to be sent out in emergencies--are described with just the right amount of detail. At the same time, dramatic events show how a seemingly simple life of solitude (she was eventually appointed keeper after her husband's death) can include action and heroics: Kate rescued more than 50 people before she retired at age 71. While not an obvious choice for a children's biography, Kate comes alive through the combined talents of Spires and McCully, and their portrayal highlights how an ordinary woman can excel and pave the way for others by virtue of her dedication and fortitude. The illustrations reveal an all-White cast. A distinctive selection that highlights an unknown heroine and her world as a lighthouse keeper. (biographical note, source notes, additional sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Elizabeth Spires is a poet and has written several books for children, including The Mouse of Amherst . She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches at Goucher College.

Emily Arnold McCully has illustrated many books for children including Mirette on the High Wire which received a Caldecott Medal. She lives in Old Chatham, New York.