Town Is by the Sea

The beauty of the notion of reader response is that every reader will bring something slightly different to books that are read. That response might be sparked by how a particular word is used; an event in a story which resonates with similar experiences held by the reader; or maybe even an image which stirs the memory. For me, Town is by the Sea, by Joanne Schwartz and illustrated beautifully by Sydney Smith, stirred a myriad of memories from my own childhood. Being brought up in a coastal region of South Wales, the sea played a prominent role: I played, swam and climbed the rocks of many a sandy shore. There was one beach, however, which was, and still is, my very favourite: Langland Bay. For me, it is synonymous with the long, sunny summer days of my childhood. I can still remember the thrill and excitement I felt as we drove down the long sweeping corner where the vast expanse of sea would suddenly leap up at us, dancing and sparkling in the sunshine, calling to me to come and play in its waves. It was the most breath-taking view ever and one which leapt, out from the pages of this most beautiful of picturebooks: at the turn of a page, I was transported back to my childhood. Town is by the Sea is a stunningly illustrated book which depicts a striking contrast between the beauty of the land and seascape, which is the world of the young narrator, with the claustrophobic, dark narrow spaces of the mines where his father works. The reader is gently drawn into the world of this mining village by the sea, where the simplistic, rhythmic regularity of life is echoed in the simplistic, rhythmic regularity of the words. There is a haunting quality to both the words and the images where the reader is allowed a little glimpse into a bygone age: an age where children followed in the footsteps of their fathers. The inevitability of working in the dark confines of the mine is never far from this young boy's mind as he relishes the expansive beauty of the sea: his thoughts are drawn to his father throughout the day. This is a book for readers both young and old and is definitely one which should be shared and discussed. It is simply beautiful. Picture book / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Tracey Parvin, tutor.

Suggested Reading Age 3+