Elinor De Wire has been writing about lighthouses and their keepers since 1972. During that time she found that hundreds of lighthouse animals wandered into her research notes and photo collection. This book is the story of all these cold-nosed, whiskered, wooly, hoofed, horned, slithery, buzzing, feathered, and finned keepers of the lights. Where else would a dog learn to ring a fogbell; a cat go swimming and catch a fish for its supper; or a parrot cuss the storm winds rattling its cage? Who other than a lightkeeper would swim a cow home, tame a baby seal, adopt an orphan alligator, send messages via carrier pigeons, or imagine mermaids coming to visit? The Lightkeepers' Menagerie gathers together animal stories from lighthouses all around the world, tales of happiness and sadness, courage and cowardice, tragedy and comedy, even absurdity. Sometimes, fur, feathers, and fins tell the best tales.

-- Stories of the heroism and fortitude of the men and women of the U.S. Lighthouse Service, who kept vital shipping lanes safe from 1716 until early in the 20th century
-- Vivid tales about the daily work; coping with fog, storms, and other catastrophes; legends and ghosts; women's and families' roles; lighthouse children and pets; the natural world around lighthouses; and the diverse characters of those who held the job
-- Fans of Elinor De Wire's charming style will want this book

Who invented the best lighthouse lens? What do the colors mean on lighthouses? Which Florida lighthouse is sometimes is mistaken for a rocket? Why did Seminoles set fire to Cape Florida Lighthouse? Why did a cat parachute off St. Augustine Lighthouse? Which Florida lighthouse wears colorful holiday lights? Where do Florida's skeleton lighthouses and spider lighthouses stand? When is Florida Lighthouse Day celebrated? How do Florida lighthouses run automatically? Florida Lighthouses for Kids answers these questions and more. A lively text, rich in pictures, details the history and lore of Florida's thirty-three lighthouses. From old Amelia Island Light to tall Ponce de Leon Inlet Light, from the battered sentinel at Key West to the sturdy brick tower at Pensacola, their stories unfold. Learn about the people who designed and built them. Meet some of the keepers who braved storms and suffered loneliness while tending their beacons.