Town Is by the Sea

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There are wordless image sequences in this book ( Dad arriving home; the boys swinging…) Look at them carefully and talk about what is shown, and how, and what’s left out. Use to inspire wordless image sequences of your own. Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips The story follows a young boy who lives by the sea. He describes his day by the glittering sea and sunny park whilst being aware that his father is below in the coal mines. Whilst he enjoys the freedom of childhood and beautiful surroundings he is aware one day his time will come to follow his father to work in the mines. 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.

Robo-parents Diode and Lugnut present daughter Cathode with a new little brother—who requires, unfortunately, some assembly. this book is a stunning snapshot of a life...And while this is for the reader a rather haunting tale, it also highlights the beauty and happiness that can be found around us even when life can seem harsh. The melodic text reads beautifully and the colour palette is stunning Smith's work on conveying sunlight on the water is some of the most striking I have ever encountered. Library MiceGet off at Via Gorgona for toddler-friendly shallow sea, or stay on three stops to 16th-century Torre Spagnola: beyond here there is a couple of miles of “free beach”. The seafront path is well-used by joggers, rollerbladers and cyclists; there are also diving and sailing clubs, beach volleyball and more.

What do these jobs involve? Do the workers wear special clothes? Where do they work? Is anything produced? One of the most glorious things about the UK being an island is that there’s certainly no shortage of coastline. No siree. Fully exploring this nation’s towering cliffs, brilliant beaches, sweeping bays and dramatic headlands would fill several lifetimes. And along those coastlines are an equally vast number of marvellous villages and towns – plenty of which are enjoying a bit of a renaissance right now. Written by Joanne Schwartz and delightfully illustrated by Sydney Smith, Town is by the Sea is a quiet book that will stay with readers long after they have closed it. Israel Book ReviewTold as a ‘day in the life’ of a boy living in a 1950’s coastal mining town, this expansive, airy book is full of the sights and smells of summer. From my house, I can see the sea, says our young narrator, and so can we - sparkling in the sunshine beyond the family’s kitchen window. Light streams through the open door and silhouetted against it is Father, off to join the other miners on their way to work. The boy spends his day roaming the clifftops, running errands for his mother and playing with friends. He doesn’t forget the sea, though - how could he? Deep beneath it, his father is digging for coal. Each day when the boy wakes he can hear seagulls, a barking dog, a car door, flowers rustling in the wind. The first thing he sees is the sea and he reflects on the knowledge that his father is already at work deep under the ocean working in the coal mine. For each image, describe what you can see, then talk about the sounds, tastes, textures, feelings and smells that could be associated with this memory.

Soundworlds is not just a podcast. It’s an audio stage for diverse stories told in extraordinary ways. It’s a place for an exciting new form of audio drama that we call sonic theatre. Nearby, Cagliari’s Roman amphitheatre (€3) is being restored: there is talk of a Unesco listing, though for now it’s still untidy and crumbling. Below it, the university botanical garden (€4) is cool and shady on a hot day.

About Joanne Schwartz

And suddenly there is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden-looking, piled naked to the sky …” So wrote DH Lawrence in 1921 on sailing to Sardinia. Almost 100 years later the city that made the writer “think of Jerusalem” is just as impressive. Children don’t need to know this book is set in the 1950’s or understand coalmining to enjoy it – it’s full of life and disarmingly accessible. But there are many layers here, together with some hidden depths, making this a richly satisfying starting point for creative exploration. Ferries run to Cagliari from Civitavecchia (near Rome), Naples and Palermo. There are also ferries to other Sardinian ports from Genoa, Livorno, Toulon and Marseille. I think there could be much debate as to the whereabouts of the boy’s father. I think we are left wondering if the image of the family cuddling up together is actually a happy memory and the father is no longer with us. I really admire the way Schwartz choose to write this story with the main character anticipating what his future might bring. It was flawlessly accompanied by Smith’s illustrations which highlight even more about the story.