Illustrated by: Judy Gaudet

Charlie and the Tire Swing is charming, simple, and relatable. Diann Floyd Boehm immediately engaged the reader with her introduction of Charlie and how the tire swing came to be. Based on the subtitle, “How it began,” this book will act as a series introduction to further adventures with Charlie and the tire swing. This book introduced Charlie, but the ‘real’ protagonist was the oak tree from which the tire swing would eventually hang.

Throughout the book, the development of the oak tree took precedence, and Charlie played a minor character compared to the oak tree and his grandfather, who explained how it grew.

The title was vaguely misleading, but since it is an introduction and a children’s book, this can be forgiven. Floyd Boehm’s experience as a teacher shows in this capacity, as she is acutely aware of the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ that would be posed by children reading or listening to subsequent volumes. That said, while the story centered on the oak tree, it is the relationship between Charlie and his grandfather that truly invoked a connection to the reader and the story.

It was evident through the care taken to develop the characters of Charlie and his grandfather that this is a subject very dear to the author. The connection between the boy and his grandfather emanated off the pages. Personally, I find the caliber of children’s books to be exceedingly high as authors are more skilled in showing as opposed to telling. Most contemporary children’s books—like Charlie and the Tire Swing—are rich with emotion, connection, and relatability, and Floyd Boehm’s book is no exception.

She has carefully injected more humanity through her words, and Gaudet’s illustrations aid her efforts. These illustrations and stories capture the readers’ imagination, tug at the caregiver’s heartstrings, and engage the adult reader just as much as the child. These stories are the ones I believe to be more successful, as it is about developing a child’s love for stories and less about instruction.

Floyd Boehm and Gaudet captured my imagination and provoked my nostalgia with the words and illustrations used to tell this simple story—which felt like it was passed down within the family. That familial connection between Charlie and his grandfather extended to the reader and that resonance will create a return reader.

Though this book was less directly instructive, it still contained pedagogy. The embedded themes would make good talking points for a teacher or parent as they read this book to a child. Through the plot and characters, the reader will be exposed to many themes, such as the relationships between families (Charlie and his grandfather, the grandfather’s relationship with his own), care for the environment, the life span of an oak tree from acorn to tire swing holder, and the importance of our elders (the inclusion of an elder as a main character and a minor character).

These themes were finessed into the story with a deft hand and did not involve too much telling instead of showing, which is a trap many children’s books authors fall into. Floyd Boehm’s decision to focus more on the story than the themes was done with a tender touch, which will provoke sentiment from the reader.

Gaudet’s illustrations created nostalgia in their simplicity and were reminiscent of Enid Blyton, Ladybird Books, and Mother Goose books of my childhood. The colours were muted to invoke that nostalgia, and they perfectly complemented the story. The illustrations may seem rudimentary to some, but I believe the story’s innate charm would have been lost if they had been more vivid, sharper, or modern.

The author and illustrator’s work complemented each other, and they crafted a relatable story with authentic characters that would appeal to boys and girls alike. Charlie and the Tire Swing was delightful, warm, and a good introduction to the probable series. Stories that can also reach adults are a bonus because they enable further engagement with the child through new experiences and relived memories. I am sure many children and their adult counterparts will look forward to adventures with Charlie and the Tire Swing… a perfect introduction was given after all!

Pros:

• Charming and relatable
• Illustrations complemented the story
• Themes were finessed and not heavy handed

Cons:

• Not really a con, but the title was a touch misleading

Cover Score: 8/10

Book Score:  8.5/10

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