Lightship

You may never haveheard of a lightship.Once, lightshipsanchored on watersacross America,on the oceansand in the Great Lakes,floating where lighthousescould not be built.Smaller than most ships,but more steadfast, too,they held their spots,through calm and storm,to guide sailorstoward safe waters.In these pagesone lightshipand her crew (and cat)again hold their place.The crew goesagain from bow to stern,from keel to mast,to run their engines,shine their lights,and sound their horns.They run the small shipthat guides the large ships.They are the crew (and cat)that work to make the ocean safe,that hold their place,so other ships can sail.Come aboard!

Brian Floca is the author and illustrator of the acclaimed picture books Locomotive, winner of the Caldecott Medal and a New York Times bestseller; Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; and Lightship, each a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book. He is the illustrator of numerous additional books, including Avi’s Poppy series. You can visit him online at BrianFloca.com.