Description
Shmuel is eager to help support his poor family, but no one in his shtetl is interested in hiring a ten-year-old boy. One day, the village installs new electric lamps, bringing light to their square and dazzling away the dark. Until a lamp breaks during a storm—and Shmuel is the only one who can fix it. Will Shmuel be able to conquer his fear of heights and bring light back to his town?
A gentle tale of bravery, empowerment and community, and the thrill of transformation.
Author Bio
Karen Levine was a producer with CBC Radio for forty-one years and won two Peabody Awards. She is the author of the multiple award-winning Hana’s Suitcase, published in over forty countries. She lives in Toronto.
Sheila Baslaw began writing after a career in social work. Intrigued by her parents' stories of childhood in a shtetl, she based Shmuel on her father's life as a Jewish child in Russia in the early 1900s. Sheila, in her nineties, lives in Ottawa.
Alice Priestley is a Toronto based illustrator and web designer. She has illustrated more than a dozen picture books, including Lights for Gita and Mom Marries Mum!, as well as textbooks, anthologies, and some of her website projects.
Review Quotes
"Baslaw’s storytelling draws from a rich wellspring of life experience, including her 35-year-long career in social work and her father’s tales of life as a Jewish child in early 1900s Russia.... The Light Keeper is a huge accomplishment."
— Ottawa Life Magazine"The Light Keeper shows the impact of innovation and resourcefulness in a community and how communities can come together in support of one another….a wonderful story to share resilience and to show young readers how they could make an impact on their communities in big and small ways."
— Storytime With Stephanie"This inspiring story, based on an incident in the family history of co-author Sheila Baslaw, offers a unique view of a small, Jewish, East European town—a shtetl. Though the book draws on the typical motifs of poverty and hard work, it also offers a telling glimpse of modernity, thereby avoiding a portrait of the shtetl as a static place bound only by tradition...Priestley's gentle illustrations evoke both the traditional shtetl lifestyle and the wonders of electric light. A luminous tale!"
— Booklist"This story is set in a shtetl in Europe, but its themes — bravery, overcoming fears, family responsibility, and the importance of community — are universal….Atmospheric illustrations with deep colors as well as earth tones accompany the text and add depth to a fine reading experience."
— Jewish Book Council"The art is warm and exudes a sense of comfort and wholesomeness....A welcome tale about persistence and optimism in the face of hardship."
— School Library Journal"This gentle story of perseverance and kindness is a cozy read. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations, The Light Keeper would be a great addition to any family, school, or library bookshelf."
— Historical Novel Society“The telling is smooth, reads well aloud, and focuses the narrative on Shmuel’s overcoming his fear of heights so that he can perform his new job. Priestley’s digital art privileges sepia tones that help to anchor the story within its time frame….Many spreads are dark, emphasizing candlelight’s ineffectiveness as a source of illumination. The Light Keeper makes a good choice for history or invention units. Highly Recommended.”
— CM Reviews