Author(s): BRITTA TECKENTRUP

Picture Books

Britta Teckentrup's latest book for children of every age is a poetic masterpiece about the passage of time.

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 colours 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.

And as the narrator grows older and wiser, readers themselves will understand that life's most important memories can never disappear.

AUTHOR: Britta Teckentrup has written and illustrated more than one hundred and twenty children's books, which have been published in more than twenty countries. Her books include Tree, Bee, Moon, Ocean - part of the "Peek-Through Picture Book" series, and Under the Same Sky, which was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award. Born in Hamburg, Germany, she currently lives with her family in Berlin.

SELLING POINTS: . The Swing offers a poetic, emotional and philosophical parable about life which allows parents the opportunity to explore difficult topics with children.

Underlying the elegant minimalism of Teckentrup's prose are deep undercurrents of emotion and meaning. This allusive approach offers children the opportunity to fill in gaps within the story and consider their own experiences . The unique artwork in the book will appeal to adults and children alike .