Town Is by the Sea

Author(s): Joanne Schwartz; Sydney Smith

3-5 yrs Picture Books (Paperback)

While a young boy enjoys a summer's day, his thoughts constantly return to his father, who is digging for coal deep under the sea.


Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.


Product Information

2018 Kate Greenaway Medal Winner

"An atmospheric, haunting story" - The Bookseller

General Fields

  • : 9781406378863
  • : Walker Books Australia Pty, Limited
  • : Walker Books Australia Pty, Limited
  • : 235.0
  • : January 2018
  • : ---length:- '21.5'width:- '28'units:- Centimeters
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Joanne Schwartz; Sydney Smith
  • : Paperback
  • : 1805
  • : Sydney Smith
  • : 813/.6
  • : 52
  • : YBCS