Overview
Like many children throughout Canada's history, Savino had to quit school when he was twelve to work and help his family. In Out of the Deeps, Savino spends his first day at the mine working alongside his father and Nelson, his father's pit pony. When Savino's headlamp goes out deep in the coal mine, Nelson leads Savino out of the danger.In 1944 the miners received their first paid holiday and insisted that their pit ponies receive a week's holiday too. In Out of the Deeps, Anne Laurel Carter captures a boy's first day at work in the mines and a special pit pony's first glimpse of daylight.
Synopsis
Like many children throughout Canada's history, Savino had to quit school when he was twelve to work and help his family. In Out of the Deeps, Savino spends his first day at the mine working alongside his father and Nelson, his father's pit pony. When Savino's headlamp goes out deep in the coal mine, Nelson leads Savino out of the danger. In 1944 the miners received their first paid holiday and insisted that their pit ponies receive a week's holiday too. In Out of the Deeps, Anne Laurel Carter captures a boy's first day at work in the mines and a special pit pony's first glimpse of daylight.Editorials
The Horn Book Guide
"Carter's story, based on an actual incident, earnestly depicts the challenges of being a miner; Debon's paintings effectively illustrate the cold, dark mines and Savino's fears."Canadian Teacher Magazine
"A fine addition to the body of excellent Canadian picture books that are superlative stories for children, beautiful works of art, and invaluable recordings of the history and culture of our country...Out of the Deeps deserves a place of honour on the bookshelves of Canadian picture book collectors and, of course, in school libraries and classrooms across the country."Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This is a pony story with a difference, and the heroic-animal tale has considerable appeal...an absorbing tale."Library Media Connection
"The author's smooth writing complements the artwork An excellent choice for use in units on the history of child labor or coal mining. Recommended."CM Magazine
"Carter's storytelling is flawless and builds a superb sense of suspense and foreboding disquiet... [an] excellent and multifaceted story that presents informative and engaging insights into the dangers, drama, lifestyles, triumphs and history of mid-twentieth century Eastern Canadian coal mining children, adults, and their workhorses."Resource Links
"The evocative writing captures the dramatic tension... [a] compelling book."Tucson Unified School District
"Recommended."Midwest Book Review
"A striking picturebook, highly recommended for public library children's collections."Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group
"The illustrations and the simple text make the story easy enough for young readers to understand Savino's emotions when he enters the mind and the dangers that he faces."The Globe and Mail
*no details*The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
This is a pony story with a difference, and the heroic-animal tale has considerable appeal...an absorbing tale.Children's Literature -
This story captures the reality of life for many children well into the 20th century when boys and girls as young as twelve had to leave school to go to work. This story tells how young Savino joins his father in the pit mines. On his first day of work, Savino's lamp is blown out and he is left terrified, alone in the dark with the pit pony he has named Nelson. Luckily, Savino recognizes that if he trusts the experienced pony's instincts, he will be all right. The pair makes it back to the others. At the end of the day, Nelson and the other ponies are rewarded with a week's holiday up in the world of green grass and sunlight. This story is based on an actual event that occurred in 1944, when Canadian miners received their first paid holiday and insisted that their ponies also get a vacation. Debon's gouache illustrations are done in browns and blacks that recreate the dim world of the mines. Because of the complexity of the historical social issues, this book is more appropriate for late primary to middle grades, rather than the younger age the publisher suggests. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-BerrySchool Library Journal
Gr 2-4
A story set in Cape Breton in the 1940s. When the day comes that Savino must join his father in the coal mines, he is eager to go, knowing that he will get to see Nelson, the clever, half-blind pit pony that he helped his father pick out two years earlier. On their first day "in the deeps," Nelson comes to the rescue when Savino loses his way, and, in turn, the boy brings the pony to the surface to experience sunshine and fresh air during the miners' first paid holiday. Striking oil paintings in shadowy tones-sepia, brown, gray-are punctuated by the bold lines of the cart tracks and shaft supports that lead Savino into the depths and readers deeper into the story. Neither the illustrations nor the text explains exactly what happens-or nearly happens-when Savino's lamp goes out. While the boy's moment of panic and the unpredictability of even routine actions may be realistic, it makes for a confusing and unsatisfying episode. Still, the child's devotion to the pony, his father, and his dangerous responsibility will have emotional resonance with children. A short historical note gives context to the story.-Madeline Walton-Hadlock, San Jose Public Library, CA