Perth earned its forever title, ‘The City of Light,’ through the remarkable inspiration of two young children. They encouraged the entire city of Perth in Western Australia to celebrate 20 February 1962. On that evening the US astronaut John Glenn was orbiting the earth in a rocket ship, too high and too far away to see a few small lights from Perth down below. But what if an entire town lights up in celebration? The challenge is on! Undaunted, these two children encourage their neighbours, phone their cousins, and inspire the entire town to ‘light up’ as John Glenn travels over Perth.
Two illustration styles feature using graphite pencil and watercolour. One style features highly detailed and realistic domestic scenes of daily life in the 1960s. The second captures the mystery of an astronaut in space. A dark double page spread shows tall buildings with lights in windows. Another dark spread reveals the Perth waterfront in sparkling lights. Will Perth succeed in saying hello to John Glenn as he travels over Perth?
The endpapers feature images of newspapers announcing the space travel of John Glenn and headings from a column hinting that indeed the lights in Perth were seen. John Glenn sends a message confirming success: ‘The lights show up very well and thank everybody for turning them on, will you?’
The illustration styles demand close observation and invite discussion. What was Perth like in the 1960s? Reviewers have pointed out the following appear: clotheslines, outside toilets, a tiny TV with its aerial, girls wearing skirts, old Holden cars and the streets of Perth. The highly detailed images of domestic and family life are juxtaposed against the otherworldly painterly dark scenes of outer space with John Glenn in his astronaut suit.
It is a spine shivering moment that connects people in Perth, Australia with America’s first person in space. A moment never to be forgotten.
Picture Books for Older Readers
