Book Review: Town Is By The Sea by Joanne Schwartz & Sydney Smith

Name Of The Book	Town Is By The Sea
Name Of The Author	Joanne Sehwartz
Name Of The Illustrator	Sydney Smith
Publisher	Penguin
Genre	Children’s Book (5-8 years)
Number Of Pages	52
Price	INR 662 (On Amazon)

'Town Is By The Sea' is a family story that tells about a boy who lives by the sea. He is a minor's son and he thinks about his father throughout the day.

'And I know my father is already deep down under that sea, digging for coal.' 

The story is narrated from the boy's point of view where he tells about his typical daily routine, in an interesting and very thoughtful way!

'From my house, I can see the sea. 

When I wake up, it goes like this ....'

This is so touching --- the way he remembers his father; no matter what he does, his thoughts wander towards his hard working father.

It's a simple story that portrays the father-son relationship beautifully. And, striking, sparkling illustrations are the icing on the cake. However, the totally black images of coal mine looks a little odd especially because the other pictures are so beautiful.

Reading this book with your child would be a great idea as it can teach them about familial bond. It can teach them to be caring and responsible.

The end is particularly poignant.

'As I fall asleep I can hear the whooshing back and forth of the waves. I think about my father. I think about the bright days of summer and the dark tunnels underground. One day, it will be my turn. I'm a miner's son. In my town, that's the way it goes.'

I read it with my 5 year-old, and he liked it so much that he asked me read it twice. However, a few things disturbed me while reading this book. The childhood of the boy seems bothered. It could be a reality for the kind of life they live, maybe, but I'm not sure how a child would feel about it (While reading the book). Also, it would've been nice if the boy had a name (along with 'Miner's son).

The most important thing; the boy does everything --- grocery shopping, going to the graveyard to visit his grandfather, playing with his friend --- but doesn't go to school or even read a book! I wondered why.

Overall, it was a lovely book, with a thoughtful story-line and beautiful illustrations. Pick it up for your child and read it together.