My Strange Shrinking Parents
It goes without saying that all children believe their parents to be strange. Mine were unusual for a different reason . . .
One boy's parents travel from far-off lands to improve their son's life. But what happens next is unexpected. What does it mean when your parents are different? What shape does love take? And what happens when your parents sacrifice a part of themselves for you?
In this heartbreaking and heartwarming story, Zeno Sworder reflects on his own migrant parents' sacrifices to create a universal story about what it means to give to those you love. Drawing from the sacrifices his Chinese mother made to raise her young family in a small country town, Sworder's drawings are full of beautiful detail and fairytale settings that explore his own journey from child to parent.
With humor and pathos, Sworder reflects on the strange nature of giving and receiving love and celebrates those parents who embrace a hard life for themselves in the hope of a better life for their children. Full of depth and generosity as well as insight and candor, Sworder brings this gorgeous fable to life.
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Haunting and magical... One of the best takes on the experiences of children of immigrant parents...in a picture book form... A story of truly enduring love... Each piece of this book fits snugly together with every other piece, like a well-constructed puzzle. Simple enough for children to understand. Layered enough for adult readers to appreciate. Strangely perfect.--Betsy Bird "School Library Journal" (1/5/2023 12:00:00 AM)
A remarkable celebration of unconditional parental love... Surpasse[s] The Giving Tree in both illustrations and narrative... Sworder gifts lucky readers of all ages a perfectly harmonized achievement in words and art.-- "Shelf Awareness (starred review)"
A poignant, fantastical conceit, reminiscent of the work of Shaun Tan... In spare, unflinching prose, Sworder shows just how much [parents are] willing to give up so their son can have what other children have... [His] soft pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, are as rich with emotion and atmosphere as his text.-- "The New York Times Book Review"
