REVIEW Lightship by Brian Floca

Get your brand-new blogging trend right here: non-fiction Mondays. It's the brainchild of Anastasia Suen and we thought we'd join the fun.

Chris Barton's the go-to guy for this genre, with a blog that revels in the variety and depth of the picture books out there on every conceivable topic. Plus, he's got two of his own due out soon from top publishers.

Here's his take on one of the more enigmatic entries on our non-fiction picture book short list, Lightship. What's it about? Apparently, you have to be patient:

Lightship is an exquisite, uncommonly distinctive book. The languid pacing of the poetic text nails the unhurriedness of the lives of the crew members as their ship "holds to one sure spot." Floca just as effectively snaps the reader to attention when it's time for the crew to do its thing: fire up the twin beacons and guide ships around fog-obscured hazards in areas where lighthouses aren't practical.

Read the rest here.