Author(s): Zeno Sworder

Picture Books | LIB Presents: Books about Refugees | CBCA Shortlisted Books 2023 | New Arrivals

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 heart-warming story, CBCA award-winner 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 humour 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 from their children. Full of depth and generosity as well as insight and candour, Sworder brings this gorgeous fable to life.

Natalia Bragura, of Kids Book Explorer writes:

In “My Strange Shrinking Parents,” award-winning author and illustrator Zeno Sworder, inspired by his own migrant parents’ journey, captures the universal tale of parental love and sacrifice. This enchanting and thought-provoking picture book, suitable for children and adults alike, tells the story of a boy whose migrant parents shrink over time as they sacrifice their own well-being for their child’s future.

Sworder remarked that the two most influential voices in his upbringing were his Chinese grandmother, who was a painter and his English father who was a lecturer in Greek philosophy. Sworder’s own evocative illustrations in this picture book, some reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints, bring the story to life with incredible attention to detail and a sense of timelessness. Drawing on his own experiences as a child of migrant parents, the author’s heartfelt narrative fosters understanding and empathy for those who embark on difficult journeys to provide a better life for their children.