Touch the Sky

Vibrant. This sweet book is full of bright colors and energy. Every child loves to go to a playground and swings are a favorite activity. The lively colors in the illustrations will also inspire children to try this art style!

Thank you NetGalley for a review copy

An adorable, hilarious, and fun read with incredible, colorful art, this is sure to become a modern classic.

The cover of this book is stunning and we downloaded it just because of the cover. To my surprise, the inside was a lesson we have been teaching Ollie! This one is about never giving up and to keep going.

I loved the illustrations so much. They are stunning on every page! This book is about never giving up but also helping others. Vern just wants to touch the sky when he's swinging. You know that feeling, it's the best! Oliver has been trying to learn to do the same thing. I was really excited that I could immediately apply it to real life. One of the best things about this was that a girl on another swing helped teach Vern how to pump those legs. When we were finished, Oliver said that he wanted to do the same thing and teach others too. Great lesson!

Not only is this gorgeous but the messages are great! Not only do we not give up, but it's great to help others. The fact that my kid got it right away was very cool to see. Books are the best!

Many thanks to Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley for an e-ARC. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

Vern and his new friend, Gretchen, are witty and adorable as they work together to help Vern learn something new. The illustrations are beautiful and engaging, evoking a sense of movement and interaction. Action words fill the pages making this book an excellent choice for young children. My daughter is eight and she enjoyed this story. Throughout the book, she was excited to share her own ideas on how to help Vern.

Vern wants nothing more than to be able to pump his legs on the swing and touch the sky just like the other kids. It is so hard that he almost gives up, but he changes his mind after another kid on the playground, Gretchen, helps and inspires him to learn how to swing.

Touch the Sky is a wonderful and motivational story that teaches children the importance of not giving up as well as learning to help others. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publishing May 7, 2024

i loved this book so much. i am a kindergarten student teacher and a daycare worker. my daycare kids sometimes struggle with swinging. this book would make such a great lesson of learning how to swing. the words are easy to understand and the pictures at to the understanding of the book. will most definitely be purchasing when this comes out.

The illustrations are so whimsical and fun! I think most children can relate to this experience of learning how to pump your legs on the swings for the first time. This would be great for kids going into Kindergarten, needing to learn how to do this on their own, without an adult's help. It's also just a great lesson in both not giving up and helping others. I still remember the feeling of "touching the sky" and feeling like I'm flying on the swings.

A joyful and visually stunning vignette about a boy learning how to pump on the swings and "touch the sky." The illustrations so perfectly capture the universal childhood joy of swinging so high you feel like you're flying, which is made even more satisfying by the lead-up of frustration and repeated failure before the exuberant success. Bonus points for depicting a boy with long hair (not relevant to the plot, just nice representation you don't see very often). A great story of perseverance and kid-to-kid playground wisdom, this book will prompt some good discussion as well as an immediate desire to go find a swing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a cute book with lovely illustrations. I thought the book was easy to read and would be entertaining for a child. I would consider buying this for a child in my life. This would especially be good for an inquisitive and curious child.

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I thought this book was a fun read. I would recommend this for children who are in the process of learning something new and need a confidence boost. It teaches a child that they can keep going long after they feel they can't during struggles. The illustrations are vibrant and inviting. I think kids will resonate with all the ups and downs of the main character.

Love Always, Catherine

I received an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fabulous book. The artwork is excellent and the story simple but with an amazing selection of great lessons, my favorite two is never to quit and try again after failing, and help the next person. Young Vern loves the swing but he doesn't know how to pump until another young friend teaches him by explaining how (very detailed explanations with illustrations, we can learn it too) Then, like Vern we just have to try and practice until we can soar.
Amazing artstyle, colors, and usage of oil pastels (or crayons) with lots of texture.
One book that should be gifted a lot and live in schools as well.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this e-arc.

Touch the Sky is an inspiring story about a boy named Vern that just wants to soar on the swings, but he doesn't know how...until he meets Gretchen. Through kindness and patience, Gretchen is able to teach Vern the basics of how to pump his legs. However, Vern still doesn't quite get it. Perseverance and practice FINALLY pay off and Vern gets it...and now it's his turn to teach someone else how to soar.

I absolutely loved this book! The illustrations were incredible...colorful, yet simple and really helped the story hit home. I love that Gretchen was so eager to help Vern and stuck with him as he learned, but I also appreciated the fact that he still had to practice on his own before he finally got it. I love children's books that present the message about the importance of practice and perseverance. This book is a great example of the "power of yet".

This is a book that I would recommend to all parents, caregivers, and educators! Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to review an eARC of Touch the Sky.

A beautifully illustrated tale that will help readers remember to never give up. I related to this myself as a new mom; today I was frustrated trying to use a baby carrier for the first time and it definitely would have been easier to give up. Just like this story teaches us, though, even though no one was watching, it was worth persisting toward a new skill to then be able to pass wisdom down to others. Great book, will definitely be purchasing!

I just absolutely LOVED <i>Touch the Sky</i>.

This is definitely a parent has to read to their kiddo sort of book, because a decent amount of the language is pretty tough for most young ones. BUT I am <i>thrilled</i> to report that <i>Touch the Sky</i> also has a number of opportunities for young readers to join in as they learn some of the words!

It’s especially brilliant because of the way the illustrator has mixed in the words of the story with the illustrations. At times, you really can feel like you’re reading the experience of swinging on a swing thanks to how expertly this is done.

Speak of the artwork, it’s exceptionally beautiful! The art is very chalk- and crayon-like in nature, expertly portraying the feeling of being a kid having an adventure outside. It’s popping and catching and just so perfectly engaging. I loved every second of it. This last bit might personally mean a bit more to me—but I’m hoping the children all love it, too—but I just <i>adored</i> the way the characters emotions can be read on their faces as the story progresses.

Even better, the writing and artwork are so complimentary in this regard! You really feel like you’ve gotten to know these beautiful kids with their unique personalities, interests, and goals.

And my goodness, how my heart just swelled with joy at the ending. That message of helping others and passing along freshly learned knowledge is just so extra perfect that I’m exceedingly ready to recommend this book for our learning center. I felt a slew of emotions reading this book—I laughed, I felt sad for the boy, I got excited, I was impressed.

Hands down one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read!

Lean, stretch, sweep, pull, tuck, SWOOP! Touching the sky isn't as easy as it looks... until someone shows you how. One child teaches another, beginning a chain of joyful soaring.

A sweet story of how not to give up when you want something. And when you finally get it you can teach someone else. Ultra cute. I would buy this for my kids.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this early copy for an honest review.

This was so cute I could PERISH.

I am not the target for children's books, however, over the last year or so about 80% of the people that I interact with regularly are either new parents or expecting. So I have found myself looking for cute children's books that I can gift to them and this one is soooo. dang. cute. OMG.

Touch the Sky is all about touching the sky with your toes as you swing.

Reading this was so nostalgic. Yes, I am an adult and still love a swing, but I find myself at them a lot less often than I did in my childhood. But I love a swing. I love the swooping feeling you get, and this book captures it perfectly! Flopping over the seat and hanging by your stomach, twisting up the chains and pulling them apart to spin yourself as fast as you can, swinging high and then tipping backward, and swinging so high the chain literally jumps as it drags you back to the earth. This is such a short, cute book, but it delivers such a visceral feeling that perfectly captures swinging.

10/10 so cute. The graphics were absolutely adorable as well.

My ONLY teeny tiny little critique is that the main character, Vern, is a boy. And I love a long haired rainbow boy, but it's not super clear from the cover and you might have some people pick this up for their daughter/granddaughter thinking they're going to have a cute story about a girl for their child to relate to. I would just make it clear, maybe with a subtitle, that the character is named "Vern" or is a boy. Obviously you don't have to be the same gender as the character to appreciate it, but working in publishing has alerted me to the fact people will get mad over everything and nit-pick so if it's at all possible to avoid it, I recommend it.

As a kindergarten teacher, this is a perfect classroom tool in the form of a beautifully crafted story. Kids will always see other kids who can do what they cannot, and the most beautiful part in this one is that a kid teaches another kid. Such a seemingly simple plot line in a beautiful manner. The illustrations were perfect for the story.

I'm giving this book all the stars because I love the use of these bright, vibrant colors to tell a story and express emotion. I'm an adult who still loves to swing but I don't remember what it was like when swinging was new -- this story turned it into a fantastic adventure, where one kid teaches another how to pump your legs and get really high, so that kid can teach someone else. We can all help each other!
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

An adorable story about not giving up when things get hard and seem impossible. Also a great reminder to not give up when you can’t do something the first try. The illustrations were bright and colorful

A very unique and creative story. One with very cool pictures. A great message and way for children to learn something they truly love to do. Good for multiple ages. Fun cover and picture style as well.

The cover of this book is what drew me to it, and the inside images matched. It is overall colorful and engaging for the reader. I loved following the main character, Vern, as he learns to pump his legs to swing on his own. It also has a nice, positive ending and overall message about resilience and learning new skills. It is a great story overall.

Fantastically colorful book with great illustrations and story. Join along as Vern and Gretchen take you on a ride and you might learn something new. If you are looking to read a fun book that will make you laugh, then this book is the one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

As a teacher, my students will enjoy reading this book as the main message is trying and trying again. This book has such a sweet message that children will gravitate towards. I will definitely be purchasing for my classroom when published!

This delightful and inspirational children's book is full of color and descriptive language. Children will adore this book, inspiring them to try new things, and work hard even when no one is watching.

I read this to my 7 and 4 year old! They loved it! At the end my son responded with "aww how sweet." I think that the message for this book was wonderful. All children can benefit from encouragement to keep trying for their goals and it was modeled in such a good way. I will be recommending this book to my family and friends who have small children.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.