Through the Darkening Sea by Claire Saxby & Peter Cheong

Renowned Australian author Claire Saxby has once again written a stunning and profoundly reflective narrative non-fiction picture book that will leave a lasting impression on the wide range of readers it will definitely captivate. Combined with the striking and dramatic illustrations by Peter Cheong, Through the Darkening Sea, is a deep dive to the depths of the ocean floor where life exists far below the surface.

As the dead whale slowly falls, it passes through a myriad of sea life including ‘swarms of migrating krill, flit-and-skitter schools of silvery lightfish, threaded chains of see-through salps’, all perfectly imaged against a deep blue-black background. Each layer of ocean passed through by the whale is lyrically described and the explanation of how sea creatures' colouring changes the further from light, is creatively shared alongside the haunting visual images. As the whale settles on the ocean floor, it becomes a source of food for those that dwell there. The circle of life is once again complete when a female whale travels though tropical waters and a new calf is born.

Through the Darkening Sea is magical journey into the shadowed darkness below the ocean’s surface where even with little light, life is teeming. This is a picture book to read slowly, savouring the words and images, creating discussion and encouraging curious readers to dive into further research. A fabulous read.  

Behind the scenes information from Claire Saxby is available.  Teacher resources are also available.

Themes: Oceans, Ocean Life, Life Cycles, Whales, Food Chains, Sea Creatures, Light, Colours, Darkness, Transparency.

Kathryn Beilby