Swing

Delightful illustrations animate Stevenson’s little poem, asking a child how she would like to go up in a swing. The things seen from the swing are described in images and words: ‘rivers and trees and cattle and all’ and ‘the garden green’ and ‘the roof so brown’. Gently evocative of bygone times, the visuals, nevertheless, impart a more up-to-date yet timeless air to the joys of a simple activity, and also provide things to talk about, such as what the child has seen and what it is like to fly through the air. Small enough and sturdy enough to withstand the impact of little hands, this is a good gift book for a new baby or small child.