Rylant explores the pursuit of happiness in this first installment in a new series of chapter books titled The Lighthouse Family. Pandora, a kindhearted cat, lives all by herself in a lonely lighthouse, devoting her days to helping those lost at sea. During one terrible storm, a salty dog, Seabold, and his boat, Adventure, crash onto the lighthouse rocks and into her life. Although Seabold is used to a solo life at sea, he is deeply comforted by his new cozy life of hot cereal, apple scones, and Pandora. What do they like best? Seabold is sure it's the Northern Lights; Penguins, says Pandora. And when three baby mice wash into their world, well, the newly created family lives happily ever after . . . at least until the next book. McDaniels' soft pastel sketches are as lovely and soothing as the story itself. A simple, timeless tale that will make children feel they have found safe harbor.

After lighthouse-keeper Pandora the cat rescues Seabold the dog from a bad storm, their friendship during his months of convalescence changes into a family relationship after he rescues three small mice. Though the story occasionally strays from sweet into saccharine and is somewhat mannered, it's deftly told; graphite illustrations suit the plot and mood well.

At her best, Rylant's ( The Ticky-Tacky Doll , below, etc.) sweetness and sentiment fills the heart; in this outing, however, sentimentality reigns and the end result is pretty gooey. Pandora keeps a lighthouse: her destiny is to protect ships at sea. She's lonely, but loves her work. She rescues Seabold and heals his broken leg, and he stays on to mend his shipwrecked boat. This wouldn't be so bad but Pandora's a cat and Seabold a dog, although they are anthropomorphized to the max. Then the duo rescue three siblings—mice!—and make a family together, although Rylant is careful to note that Pandora and Seabold each have their own room. Choosing what you love, caring for others, making a family out of love, it is all very well, but this capsizes into silliness. Formatted to look like the start of a new series. Oh, dear. (Fiction. 6-8)

Gr 2-4-Pandora the cat is a lighthouse keeper, a lonely avocation until Seabold the dog is washed up on shore during a terrible winter storm. She rescues and nurses him back to health, and he is content to remain for a long winter's respite from his travels in the no-longer lonely lighthouse. "Pandora and Seabold told each other stories of their lives and things they had read or seen and what they liked most in the world, or least." Through spring and summer, the two friends share a life, and "Everything at the lighthouse is different." But as September approaches, Seabold readies his boat to return to the sea, and "Pandora felt a small emptiness in her heart." One early fall day, a fierce storm blows in, and with it comes a small, strange vessel. Seabold rescues its occupants, three tiny orphan mice, and Pandora nurses them back to health. They join the dog and cat at the lighthouse, "And after that day, everything was changed.- The lighthouse had a family." This kindhearted Victorian tale, with charming illustrations reminiscent of the work of Beatrix Potter, offers up just enough danger to save it from outright mawkishness. The Storm will captivate young chapter-book readers.-Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.