A boy describes his day in the town by the sea where he lives, an accounting made extraordinary by its lyricism and its visual accompaniment. “It goes like this … ” is the repeated refrain as he details each part of his day. Morning includes butterflies in his stomach when he swings up high; lunch is a baloney sandwich and carrots; in the afternoon he notices the salt-smell of the air when he stops at the graveyard overlooking the sea. Most of the ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations have a muted palette but feel full of light and movement and convey an exceptional sense of place along with the narrative. But there is another repeated refrain: Two consecutive double-page spreads between each part of the day in which the boy takes note of how the sea looks (paintings show its expansiveness and the play of light on water), and thinks of his father at work in the coal mine beneath the sea (paintings dominated by heavy, oppressive dark bearing down on the workers). The boy notes matter-of-factly that his future will be the mine, just like his father and grandfather. But for now readers see he is secure in the warmth of family and familiarity, and also the light. An author’s note explains more about the setting of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in the 1950s. (Ages 6-10)

A young boy lives by the sea, and his father is a coal miner who works under that sea. The boy describes his day as he plays on swings with a friend, eats lunch, goes to the store for his mother, and visits his miner grandfather's grave, while frequently viewing the sea and thinking of his father digging for coal “deep down under the sea.” He knows he will also become a miner. Four dark spreads strategically placed within the narrative depict the sea, with a thin area along the bottom where miners are working. Publisher names the setting as Cape Breton.

Winner of CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, Winner of the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, 2918 USBBY Outstanding International Book.

Author was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and lives in Toronto. Illustrator lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Toronto, Canada. Originally published in Toronto, Canada by Groundwood Books in 2017.

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.