Sample book · Cozy Gouache
Theo and the Lantern Light
A little light is brighter together.
The family in this book is made up. Yours would be painted from your photos.
10 painted spreads
or turn the pages with the arrow keys
Rain tapped Theo’s big yellow coat. Tap, tap, tap. At Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior stretched out below the rocky cliff. Theo tucked a smooth lake stone into his pocket. “Why is it so round?” he asked. Nana Rosa smiled. “The lake has been rubbing it smooth for a long, long time.”
3
Inside the keeper’s house, Nana Rosa showed Theo her old brass lantern. “I kept this lighthouse when I was young,” she said. Theo’s eyes grew wide. “Why did it need a keeper?” Nana hummed a long, low note. “On dark nights, a light helped people find their way.”
5
That night, the wind blew hard. The house lights went out. Outside, a little fishing boat moved slowly across the dark lake. Its own small light still shone, but rain hid the shore. “Why is it going so slowly?” Theo whispered. Nana looked out. “It may be looking for home.”
7
Nana Rosa lit her brass lantern. A warm glow filled the room. “We can put this high in the tower window,” she said. Theo looked at the tall, dark shape outside. “Why do my knees feel wobbly?” Nana gave his hand a squeeze. “Mine do, too. We can go together.”
9
They crossed the wet path from the house to the tower. The wind gave Theo’s too-big coat a great big puff. Whoosh! He put one hand on his hood and held Nana’s hand with the other. “Why does the wind want my coat?” he asked. “It likes yellow,” Nana said.
11
Inside the tower, the stairs curled up and up. Nana carried the lantern. Theo carried his pocket full of stones. Step, step, step. “Why do you hum that same note?” he asked. “It is the note of the old foghorn,” Nana said. Theo hummed it, too. His steps felt steadier.
13
At the top, glass walls looked out over the lake. Nana set the lantern safely by a window. Its light glowed into the rain. Far below, the little boat was hard to see. Theo pressed close to Nana. “Is our light big enough?” he asked. “Let’s give it our best,” she said.
15
Rain blurred the glass. Theo could hardly see the lantern’s glow outside. He wiped a clear patch with his sleeve. Nana moved the lantern beside it. “Why are we both shaking?” Theo asked. Nana took his hand. “Perhaps brave does not mean we stop shaking.” Together, they watched the little light shine through.
17
Down on the lake, the little boat turned. Its light moved toward the rocky cove, slow and sure. Theo held his breath. The boat reached the quiet water by the pebble shore. “It found home!” he cried. Nana’s laugh filled the lantern room. Theo laughed, too, and their hands stayed clasped.
19
By morning, the storm had gone. In the keeper’s house, Theo set a smooth stone beside Nana’s lantern. “Why did we go up when we were scared?” he asked. Nana hummed her long, low note. Theo knew the answer now. They had been brave together. Outside, sunlight touched the glass at the top of the tower.
21For every grandparent who ever left a light on.
On the back
A stormy weekend with Nana Rosa brings Theo to the lighthouse she once kept. When the lights go out, her old brass lantern may have one more job to do. Can a boy who asks “why?” find the courage to help?
- The cast
- Theo (grandson, 6) and Nana Rosa (grandmother)
- The setting
- Split Rock Lighthouse on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota
- The dedication
- For every grandparent who ever left a light on.
