The grumpy lighthouse keeper by Territzita Corpus

Ill. by Maggie Prewett. Magabala Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925360189
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Humour. Lighthouse. Beach. Broome. Sea creatures. When the lighthouse keeper goes out to check that his light is still shining brightly on a cold blustery night, several animals crawl from the beach and into his warm snugly bed. As each comes from the beach, the same format on each page is used, encouraging children to predict the words that will follow as another animal appears. Cassius the crab, Trev the turtle, Jacob the jellyfish, Olena the octopus and Bruce the bluebone take their place inside the lighthouse keeper's cottage.
The bright, vivid illustrations show the readers each of the animals and will encourage the readers to try their own skills at representing these sea creatures.
When the lighthouse keeper returns of course, readers again will predict his possible response, laughing merrily at his insistence that the animals leave his bed, then finding it too damp to now sleep in himself. A solution is found however, although readers will know that he has missed out on his comfortable bed on such a cold night.
Readers will laugh out aloud at the antics of the animals, knowing that a bed is probably the last place they would want to be but seeing the humour in these creatures taking shelter. All the while students are reminded of the sorts of sea creatures to be found in Broome and the history of a local historical spot. I loved it.
Fran Knight