Joanne Schwartz (1) (1960–)

Reads like a poem, a perfect poem, about a day in the life of a boy from a coal mining town. His father goes to the mines; the boy plays outside. The illustrations of the boy by the glittering sea are juxtaposed with images of the father in a dark, oppressive underground tunnel.

The story includes the boy visiting the seaside grave of his grandfather (also a coal miner). The pictures lead the reader to believe that the tunnel the father was working in may have collapsed (but the father does come home unharmed at the end of the day). The book ends with the boy revealing, quietly but dramatically, that he will one day join his father in the mines.

So I think there is a subtle message in the book that older children and adults will pick up on. I feel like the message is about recognizing the bittersweet nature of growing up in a coal mining town by the sea. On the one hand, there's beauty and simplicity and stability (at least there was in the 1950s). On the other, there's the fact that it's a dangerous profession and the boy's future is already decided for him.

I can see this book as an ode to hardworking coal mining families. At the same time the story acknowledges that it may not be what a person would choose, if they had a choice.… (más)