ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Dec 2023
See also:
When I See Red
The Are Fish Everywhere
The House By The Lake
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright
“This not a picture book for the Kinderbox; this is a picture book to be offered to a wider age range, both young people and adults. It is a thoughtful book that could provide the basis for discussion. It is also a book to enjoy for its production, but most of all for Teckentrup’s paintings so full of heart, each and every one asking the viewer to stop, look, think and engage.” BfK 5-star review
“A beautifully illustrated book about the passing of time, with the swing at the centre on every page, as a place that is special, meaning many things to all the different people and generations that have used it.” JustImagine
Inexplicably overlooked earlier in the year (it was published in February), this is unquestionably one of the highlights of 2023.
A swing on a hill overlooking the water is at the centre of this lovely meditation on childhood, growing older, friendship and loss.
“The swing has always been in this place—ever since I can remember,” declares the narrator. “Here we stood together, looking out to sea, waiting for something to change. . . for something new, something exciting. But every day was the same.”
But as seasons change and years pass, things do change. Friends come and go, lovers meet and kiss, spring turns to autumn, and the swing set grows creaky with age. All of these changes are gorgeously communicated by Teckentrup’s signature collage paintings that employ soft, radiant colors and simple yet powerful compositions.
With its equally compelling text, readers of every age will experience time as a gentle but inescapable force, bringing about new experiences.
The Swing by Britta Teckentrup is the kind of book that makes you cry for its sheer beauty.
Thanks for sending it my way @antswilk pic.twitter.com/CNtsbCVTUw
— Louise Nettleton (@Lou_Nettleton) January 31, 2023
I’m trying not to buy so many books this year but then a beauty like The Swing by Britta Teckentrup comes along and I’m scuppered! It’s a stunning book about a swing and the different people who love it. It’s simple, lyrical, profound and the illustrations sing. All ages. pic.twitter.com/B9XnRIoP79
— Sarah Webb (@sarahwebbishere) May 19, 2023
Joint No.1 in my #FavePicturebooks23 is…
“The Swing” by @BTeckentrup. It is a truly extraordinary book. It tells multiple stories both happy and sad, full of truth and pathos, this is book about life, time and place. Sublime storytelling through art and word #picturebookPage pic.twitter.com/6HTdGxoMeg
— Simon Smith (@smithsmm) December 3, 2023
Born in Hamburg, Britta Teckentrup studied art and illustration at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art in London. She is an author and illustrator of numerous books and has received many awards. She lives in Berlin with her Scottish husband and her son Vincent.
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