The Light Keeper

Gr 1-3–In the early 1900s, a family living in a shtetl, or Jewish village, in Russia, suffers from poverty and hunger. Things come to a head quickly when the mother announces, “We can’t go on like this.” Schmuel, the main character, goes to the village square to fetch water and observes several men installing electric lights—something the village has never experienced. Schmuel speaks with the men and watches them, ultimately learning how the lights work. By the end of the story, Schmuel is employed by the village to fix wiring and to replace burned-out lightbulbs, thus helping his family make ends meet. The art is warm and exudes a sense of comfort and wholesomeness. Varying perspectives and angles add an element of visual excitement. In an emotional author’s note, Levine reveals that her father, also born in a shtetl and named Schmuel, became a light keeper, and was the inspiration for the story. It’s a journey that is sure to inspire and encourage readers, in a setting that is usually associated with the more negative context of the pogroms.