My Strange Shrinking Parents, written and illustrated by Zeno Sworder. Thames and Hudson, Penguin Random House, 2023. $23.99 ages 9 and up

 

"Every morning, my parents would go 
to work in the city. 
They struggled to get by. 

Still, they tried to give me the 
same as the other children." 

In this heartbreaking (and heartwarming) story of love, sacrifice and selflessness, Zeno Sworder describes what  parents give up to ensure a better life for their child.  

In respect of that, he dedicates his book: 

"To my immigrant parents. And to all parents who burden and narrow their own lives in the hope that their children will be free to go further." 

The following pages celebrate and honor the steadfast love parents show to make sure their children are safe from the daily trials and tribulations they face as they make a new life in new and unfamiliar circumstances. Using a first-person voice gives the story a sense of immediacy, and the stunning artwork takes readers from the child's birth through to adulthood. All the while, both text and illustrations focus on parents whose lives shrink back in order to allow their child to move forward. 

Zeno Sworder, in an author's note that follows the story's end, tells those who read it that the events are loosely based on his memories of growing up with parents who knew their life would be hard. But it was worth it for the benefit of their children. 

He describes the payment extracted for wanting their son to have what others have came from their own bodies, and the height they lost as they provided a birthday cake (two inches) or the cost of school (three inches each year). While he grows taller, his parents shrink in size.

"We all comfortably 

fit in our small bed ... 
and could share the 
same clothes. 

More importantly, there was more room 
for dancing in the kitchen." 

Life for the boy is not always easy. He is teased about his parents' size and blames them for the shrinking. Growing into adulthood and having a family of his own, he realizes that his courage is a direct result of what he learned from his parents at every turn. Despite their size, their love for each other is eternal and unconditional. 

 "Our hearts are just as big."

"Our love is just as good."