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43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most important story Captain Kangaroo ever read us, January 24, 2004
Bob Keeshan died yesterday and those of us trying to salve the ache of having a key pillar of our youth pass away having been thinking back on and talking about what made "Captain Kangaroo" the "Sesame Street" of its day. In addition to Mr. Greenjeans and Bunny Rabbit, there were the classic children's books that were read to us by the Captain. On a list of beloved books that includes "Make Way for Ducklings," "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel," and "Ping," there is also "The Little Red Lighthouse and Great Gray Bridge." So far everybody I have been talking to about Captain Kangaroo has remembered the book and every one of them has driven under the George Washington Bridge in New York City and seen the Little Red Lighthouse that stands watching over the Hudson River. I think "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Gray Bridge," written by Hildegard Hoyt Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward, is arguably the most significant of the books we first "read" on "Captain Kangaroo." I have two reasons for this. The first is the powerful metaphor for young children that something little can still be important in a world where some things are much bigger. The second is that the story is "true," in the very real sense that you can see the great gray bridge and see the little red lighthouse, which is never ever going to be torn down just because of this book. The idea that stories can be true is a very important idea for young readers to absorb. I would add the idea that just because something is bigger and newer it is not better, but that certainly would be showing my age, would it not? Even though this book was originally published in 1942, I feel safe in saying that most of the children who have ever read "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge" did so directly or indirectly because of Bob Keeshan. This is true even if they have never held a copy of the actual book in their own hands. I wonder if young kids today, who are just learning how to read, still have the opportunity to have stories read to them like we did on "Captain Kangaroo." It has been sixty years since this book was first published and tonight even with Captain Kangaroo gone, there is some comfort in knowing that the littel red lighthouse still proudly stands beneath the George Washington Bridge.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A NYC legend with universal appeal, December 8, 2000
By A Customer
This was one of my favorite stories as a child. Recently my group at work passed the lighthouse on a boat trip. I was still able to tell the story almost word for word. It illustrates the joy of being useful and helping others. And that there is a role for everyone, big or small, to be able to make a difference. The personality of the little red lighthouse comes through as if it were a friend you'd known and loved forever.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Timeless Classic....., January 25, 2003
"Once upon a time a little lighthouse was built on a sharp point of the shore by the Hudson River. It was round and fat and red. It was fat and red and jolly. And it was VERY, VERY PROUD. Behind it lay New York City where the people lived..." The little red lighthouse was very quiet by day, watching all the ships and people traveling up and down the river. But by night, it was very busy flashing its lights and ringing its bell to keep the ships away from the rocks and danger. "It felt big and useful and important. What would the boats do without me? it thought." Then one day, everything began to change. Workmen came and dug and dug. Enormous steel girders began to rise over the little lighthouse, and huge, heavy cables were strung between the girders. A great gray bridge grew overhead, spanning the river from shore to shore. It made the little lighthouse feel very small and unimportant..... Originally published in 1942, award winning author Hildegarde Swift's, The Little Red Lighthouse And The Great Gray Bridge is as heartwarming and entertaining today, as it was over sixty years ago. Her engaging text, with its happily-ever-after ending, is complemented by Lynd Ward's charming, playful, and expressive illustrations, and together word and art send a simple message that won't be lost on young children...size doesn't equal importance. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, The Little Red Lighthouse And The Great Gray Bridge includes a fascinating afterword on the back cover about the history of the real lighthouse and bridge, portrayed in this story, to further enlighten. This is a timeless classic, to read and share now with friends and family, and future generations in the years to come. "And now beside the great beacon of the bridge the small beam of the lighthouse still flashes. Beside the towering gray bridge the lighthouse still bravely stands. Though it knows now that it is little, it is still VERY, VERY PROUD. And every day the people who go up Riverside Drive in New York City turn to look at it. For there they both are-the great gray bridge and the little red lighthouse. If you don't believe it, go see for yourselves!"
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