About the Author

Elizabeth Spires is a poet and has written several books for children, including The Mouse of Amherst. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches at Goucher College.

Emily Arnold McCully has illustrated many books for children including Mirette on the High Wire which received a Caldecott Medal. She lives in Old Chatham, New York.

Reviews

★ "A new entry in the canon of inspiring biographies about strong women. . . . Gorgeously realistic illustrations in watercolor, pen, and ink are offset by no more than four spare sentences on any given page. Details throughout the story will fascinate readers."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Kate's Light is an unusual true story compellingly told."—BookPage

"Caldecott Medalist McCully's vivid ink and watercolor spreads bring to life the storms and waves that made Walker's work necessary, and brim with visual information . . . An intrepid heroine in a lonely place, Walker had grit that makes for gripping reading."—Publishers Weekly

"Spires shows Walker as a quiet heroine meeting challenges calmly and efficiently. McCully's hallmark watercolors support this focus, whether depicting the cramped conditions on Robins Reef, the pattern of life at the lighthouse, Kate braving dangerous weather, and two spectacular seascapes." —The Horn Book

"In Spires' spirited telling, Kate Walker's professional achievement is less a tale of ambitiously upending gender expectations and more a demonstration of persistently demanding recognition of and remuneration for hard-earned skills. McCully's watercolor illustrations glide smoothly from homey interiors to roiling storms, capturing Kate hammering a massive warning bell in dense fog or chattering contentedly with friends in the sunshine."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"McCully's loose, sweeping, yet specific illustrations combine seamlessly with Spires' clear and engaging description . . . A distinctive selection that highlights an unknown heroine and her world as a lighthouse keeper."—Kirkus Reviews

"McCully's illustrations, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor, help to bring this setting and time period to life for younger readers. . . . a good addition to women's history units."—Booklist