1. Broome (W.A.)
2. Emotions
3. Humour
4. Lighthouses
5. Literary devices
6. Marine animals
7. Storms

One wild stormy night the lighthouse keeper leaves his warm comfortable bed to check that the light is still burning. Cassius the crab, seeking shelter from the storm discovers the vacant bed. He is followed by several other sea creatures and they all comfortably settle in. When the cold and wet keeper returns he finds them in his bed and he orders them out. Slowly they depart, one by one, but his bed is now too slimy to sleep in.

The lively colourful illustrations compliment the simple clear text that makes excellent use of alliteration and onomatopoeia creating a humorous and engaging story for younger readers.

This story is set in the lighthouse at Broome in Western Australia. Up until 1922, the light which guided ships was fuelled by kerosene and the lighthouse keeper who lived in a cottage nearby had to make sure the light remained lit and working whatever the weather. After the lighthouse was connected to electricity in 1922 and the keeper was no longer needed, however the cottage still stands and this entertaining story is set there. The book includes information on the lighthouse which was built in 1905.
The author is descended from the Yawuru and Nyul people of the Kimberley region of WA and the illustrator is a descendant of the Ngarluma people of the Pilbara region of WA.

1. Magabala Books Teacher's Notes "The Grumpy Lighthouse Keeper' http://static.booktopia.com.au/pdf/9781925360189-1.pdf
2. Kids Book Review Tania McCartney's review of 'The Grumpy Lighthouse Keeper' http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2011/09/review-grumpy-lighthouse-keeper.html
3. ABC Local Stories Broome Lighthouse https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/12/07/3385732.htm
4. Broome Lighthouse photo http://www.travelling-australia.info/CollBroome/APics3D.html