In 1914 crew members of the lighthouse tender Hyacinth rescued a stray puppy from the Milwaukee River and named him Sport. For the next twelve years, this charming Newfoundland-retriever mix lived the life of a ship dog, helping the Hyacinth crew as they carried supplies to lighthouses and maintained the buoys and other safety features around Lake Michigan. Sport quickly became a valued companion to his crew and a recognizable mascot of the lake—making friends in every port.
In this beautifully illustrated children’s book based on historical documents and photographs, readers share in Sport’s adventures while discovering the various ways lighthouse tender ships helped keep the lake safe for others. Helpful diagrams, a map, and a historical note supplement this engaging story for young readers.
When Sport stood on the Milwaukee dock as a storm brewed, he did not know what lay ahead for him. He did not know he could swim; he did not know that he would be rescued by the tender Hyacinth, and he couldn’t have imagined that he would spend 12 years on the ship being part of a crew.
Sport is working to create a new life for himself.
Written by Pamela Cameron and illustrated by Renée Graef.