Town Is by the Sea
La description
Winner of CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
A young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather’s grave after lunch and comes home to a simple family dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea. Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Sidewalk Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig.
With curriculum connections to communities and the history of mining, this beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of Canadian history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a Cape Breton mining town will enthrall children and move adult readers.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Récompenses
- Commended, Horn Book Fanfare 2017
- Commended, NPR Book Concierge 2017
- Winner, Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration 2018
- Commended, Kirkus Best Picture Books 2017
- Commended, Cooperative Children's Book Center Best of the Year 2018
- Commended, School Library Journal Best Books 2017
- Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Award, Young People's Literature — Illustrated Books 2017
- Commended, Denver Public Library Best Children's & Teen Books 2017
- Commended, New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award 2017
- Commended, BookPage Best Children's & Young Adult Books 2017
- Winner, CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018
- Winner, TD Canadian Children's Literature Award 2018
- Commended, Shelf Awareness Best Books of the Year 2017
- Commended, Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book 2017
- Commended, New York Times Notable Children’s Books 2017
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens 2017
- Commended, ALSC Notable Children's Books 2018
- Short-listed, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award 2018
- Commended, Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2018
Reviews
This is a moving story, and a fine example of text and pictures in perfect harmony.
- Horn Book
Hauntingly beautiful.
- Booklist
this story ebbs and flows like the sea itself . . . one of the best illustrated books of the year . . .
- Huffington Post
Art and text meld for a powerful glimpse at a way of life that begs inspection. A thoughtful and haunting book that will stay with readers.
- School Library Journal
A quiet book that will stay with readers long after they have closed it.
- Kirkus Reviews
This quietly devastating book … stirs timeless, elemental emotions.
- New York Times
Sydney Smith's gorgeous, airy illustrations showcase the beauty of childhood in the seaside town. … [Schwartz] perfectly captures the matter-of-fact thinking of a small child.
- Quill & Quire