My Strange Shrinking Parents

By Zeno Sworder

A boy's parents from afar sacrifice everything for his future. What shape does love take?

4.3/5 Goodreads · 409 ratings

40 pages

$17.95Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

A young boy's life changes when his parents journey from distant lands, bringing unexpected challenges and sacrifices. As they strive for a better future, he questions the true shape of love and the cost of their dreams. Zeno Sworder weaves a heartfelt tale inspired by his own family's journey, exploring the complexities of giving and receiving love. Through vivid illustrations and a touch of humor, this story celebrates the resilience and hope of parents who endure hardships for their children's sake. What does it mean when love demands everything?

From the publisher

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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