The Green Baby Swing

Illustrated by Yong Ling Kang
Look inside
A tender picture book about loss, intergenerational love and the power of family keepsakes, from acclaimed author Thomas King and for fans of Memory Jars.

After Nana passes away, Xavier, his mother and Comet the kitten all head up to Nana's attic to help clean it up.

At first, Xavier is a little nervous. Though there are no dragons up there, it looks like a dragon's cave — it's gloomy, dusty and full of cobwebs. But as Xavier explores the attic, he discovers all kinds of interesting things:

An old tricycle
Two monkeys made out of coconuts
A scrapbook full of photographs
A rocking horse with gold and red stars stuck to its neck

At the bottom of one box, Xavier finds a strange piece of fabric. It's thick, soft and green, and it makes his mother's eyes wet with memories.

As Xavier learns more about this keepsake, he discovers more about his family and himself in this gorgeous picture book about intergenerational love and the power of memory.
© Hartley Goodweather
THOMAS KING has written several highly acclaimed children's books, including My Lala (illustrated by Charlene Chua). A Coyote Solstice Tale (illustrated by Gary Clement) won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book and A Coyote Columbus Story (illustrated by Kent Monkman) was a Governor General's Literary Award finalist. King, who is of Cherokee and Greek descent and was a Professor of English at the University of Guelph for many years, won a Governor General's Literary Award for his adult novel The Back of the Turtle; he won both the BC National Award for Canadian Nonfiction and the RBC Taylor Prize for The Inconvenient Indian. His novel Indians on Vacation was shortlisted for the Govenor General's award and won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Thomas lives in Guelph, Ontario with his family. View titles by Thomas King
Yong Ling Kang was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore. Her formal education is in animation where she developed her love of storytelling. When she was a child, she remembers being given a special piece of jewelry as part of a family tradition. The illustrator of numerous picture books, Yong Ling Kang now lives in Toronto. View titles by Yong Ling Kang
PRAISE FOR The Green Baby Swing:

"An affecting, supportive portrayal of navigating loss and the ways love and family connection endure." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

"A tender tale that pulls generations together." Kirkus Reviews

"The Green Baby Swing is recommended for young readers to enjoy with their caregivers, and it could encourage them to explore their own family stories." CM: Canadian Review of Materials
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About

A tender picture book about loss, intergenerational love and the power of family keepsakes, from acclaimed author Thomas King and for fans of Memory Jars.

After Nana passes away, Xavier, his mother and Comet the kitten all head up to Nana's attic to help clean it up.

At first, Xavier is a little nervous. Though there are no dragons up there, it looks like a dragon's cave — it's gloomy, dusty and full of cobwebs. But as Xavier explores the attic, he discovers all kinds of interesting things:

An old tricycle
Two monkeys made out of coconuts
A scrapbook full of photographs
A rocking horse with gold and red stars stuck to its neck

At the bottom of one box, Xavier finds a strange piece of fabric. It's thick, soft and green, and it makes his mother's eyes wet with memories.

As Xavier learns more about this keepsake, he discovers more about his family and himself in this gorgeous picture book about intergenerational love and the power of memory.

Author

© Hartley Goodweather
THOMAS KING has written several highly acclaimed children's books, including My Lala (illustrated by Charlene Chua). A Coyote Solstice Tale (illustrated by Gary Clement) won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award for Best Picture Book and A Coyote Columbus Story (illustrated by Kent Monkman) was a Governor General's Literary Award finalist. King, who is of Cherokee and Greek descent and was a Professor of English at the University of Guelph for many years, won a Governor General's Literary Award for his adult novel The Back of the Turtle; he won both the BC National Award for Canadian Nonfiction and the RBC Taylor Prize for The Inconvenient Indian. His novel Indians on Vacation was shortlisted for the Govenor General's award and won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Thomas lives in Guelph, Ontario with his family. View titles by Thomas King
Yong Ling Kang was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore. Her formal education is in animation where she developed her love of storytelling. When she was a child, she remembers being given a special piece of jewelry as part of a family tradition. The illustrator of numerous picture books, Yong Ling Kang now lives in Toronto. View titles by Yong Ling Kang

Praise

PRAISE FOR The Green Baby Swing:

"An affecting, supportive portrayal of navigating loss and the ways love and family connection endure." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

"A tender tale that pulls generations together." Kirkus Reviews

"The Green Baby Swing is recommended for young readers to enjoy with their caregivers, and it could encourage them to explore their own family stories." CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Photos

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