Boy of the Deeps — Ian Wallace

James is following in his father's footsteps, and today for the first time he will descend deep into the caves below the Atlantic Ocean to begin to learn the coal miner's work.
The story follows him down into the pit, where the pit ponies live out their lives in the dark. He and his father work on a vein of coal and are just relaxing for lunch when the ceiling begins to collapse. His father is trapped by a falling beam but James manages to free him. Together they manage to dig their way out and join their companions. But everybody knows that tomorrow James, his father, and all the miners will be back down in the mine despite the dangers, for it is the only way they can earn their living.
Beautifully illustrated in an Edward Hopper style, Boy of the Deeps pays homage to the lives of these brave miners and brings the brave lives of miners to children in a vivid concrete way.