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Swing!
A young girl learns how to manage her emotions and channel her tennis hero, Arthur Ashe, in the new book by Geisel Award-winning creator James Yang.
A young girl loves to play tennis with her father. And dreams of being like her hero, Arthur Ashe. But sometimes her brain feels like it's bouncing, just like a tennis ball. And it's hard not to lose her temper. Dad reminds her that being a tennis star is about how you act both on and off the court.
Geisel Award–winning author and illustrator James Yang has created an unforgettable story about the power we have over our emotions when we take a deep breath, focus, and swing!
A young girl loves to play tennis with her father. And dreams of being like her hero, Arthur Ashe. But sometimes her brain feels like it's bouncing, just like a tennis ball. And it's hard not to lose her temper. Dad reminds her that being a tennis star is about how you act both on and off the court.
Geisel Award–winning author and illustrator James Yang has created an unforgettable story about the power we have over our emotions when we take a deep breath, focus, and swing!
Audible Audio
First published August 4, 2025
About the author
James Yang
30 books17 followersJames Yang is an award-winning artist and designer, and the author of Stop! Bot!, the winner of the 2020 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers. His follow up book, A Boy Named Isamu , is the APALA 2022 Honor Title Picture for Asian American literature . He uses pencil sharpeners, pens, and a computer--which is an electronic machine--in his studio. James Yang grew up in Oklahoma, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 24, 2026
With US Open fever getting underway, what better time to look at a delightfully retro kids' book about tennis star Arthur Ashe -- namesake of the main arena at the world's largest tennis stadium -- and the very personal effect he had on at least one family in the 1970s.
Our unnamed protagonist loves tennis and especially Arthur Ashe, who has a one-handed backhand just like her dad does. She and her dad love both playing and watching tennis together. But sometimes, our heroine has a bad day on the court, and her brain starts bouncing up and down like a tennis ball that she can't get under control. And sometimes she has a bad day at school, with her schoolmate Timmy bugging her -- the only Asian person there -- for attention in increasingly irritating ways.
When Dad suggests that they take a break during a particularly frustrating passage of tennis, our heroine asks if she can get glasses like Arthur Ashe too. As they try on several pairs at the store, Dad tells her about all the ways in which Arthur Ashe is a hero, both on and off the court. Soon, she's reconsidering her approach to both tennis and Timmy, and discovering the power of both courtesy and self-control.
Like the author, I come from a racquet-sports family. My dad played squash before he moved to golf, and my mom and aunt played a ton of tennis every week. We kids all had to learn the basics, even tho I'm still more of a badminton girly myself (my siblings and I even have tickets for badminton during the LA Olympics, for our planned 2028 bonding experience!) So this book would have been entirely in my wheelhouse even if I wasn't already a huge fan of Arthur Ashe's trailblazing, activism and legacy. I just wish I'd had more people like the protagonist's Dad in my life, who could exemplify Mr Ashe's lessons on compassion and self-discipline instead of fueling my own frustration with my game.
James Yang has not only written a terrific book, he's also illustrated it spectacularly! It took me a moment to realize that this was set during the highpoint years of Mr Ashe's career, but the illustrations are absolutely brilliant, especially in the spread where the heroine is pointing out that her dad and Arthur Ashe are wearing the same shirt. The protagonist's expressions are note perfect, and the color schemes bright and retro without being kitschy. This book is perfect for the library of any reader who loves tennis or who feels that they have trouble keeping their emotions in check and could use a good role model to teach a/o remind them how to move through anger and towards improvement.
Swing! by James Yang was published August 4 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
Our unnamed protagonist loves tennis and especially Arthur Ashe, who has a one-handed backhand just like her dad does. She and her dad love both playing and watching tennis together. But sometimes, our heroine has a bad day on the court, and her brain starts bouncing up and down like a tennis ball that she can't get under control. And sometimes she has a bad day at school, with her schoolmate Timmy bugging her -- the only Asian person there -- for attention in increasingly irritating ways.
When Dad suggests that they take a break during a particularly frustrating passage of tennis, our heroine asks if she can get glasses like Arthur Ashe too. As they try on several pairs at the store, Dad tells her about all the ways in which Arthur Ashe is a hero, both on and off the court. Soon, she's reconsidering her approach to both tennis and Timmy, and discovering the power of both courtesy and self-control.
Like the author, I come from a racquet-sports family. My dad played squash before he moved to golf, and my mom and aunt played a ton of tennis every week. We kids all had to learn the basics, even tho I'm still more of a badminton girly myself (my siblings and I even have tickets for badminton during the LA Olympics, for our planned 2028 bonding experience!) So this book would have been entirely in my wheelhouse even if I wasn't already a huge fan of Arthur Ashe's trailblazing, activism and legacy. I just wish I'd had more people like the protagonist's Dad in my life, who could exemplify Mr Ashe's lessons on compassion and self-discipline instead of fueling my own frustration with my game.
James Yang has not only written a terrific book, he's also illustrated it spectacularly! It took me a moment to realize that this was set during the highpoint years of Mr Ashe's career, but the illustrations are absolutely brilliant, especially in the spread where the heroine is pointing out that her dad and Arthur Ashe are wearing the same shirt. The protagonist's expressions are note perfect, and the color schemes bright and retro without being kitschy. This book is perfect for the library of any reader who loves tennis or who feels that they have trouble keeping their emotions in check and could use a good role model to teach a/o remind them how to move through anger and towards improvement.
Swing! by James Yang was published August 4 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
August 21, 2026
A young girl is learning to play tennis from her father. Her hero is Arthur Ashe. At school, a boy named Timmy is usually trying to get her attention by asking to try part of her lunch or asking her to teach him to play tennis. She is quite rude to him. Her father tells her that Arthur Ashe isn't rude to people. Eventually she decides to play nice with Timmy.
Although well-intentioned, this title is problematic. We have a young girl being repeatedly bothered by another student. Her father tells her that he hero would be nicer to the other child. First, when correcting behavior, it is a parent's job to say "that behavior is not ok"; what another person would do is not the point. The point is how you, the parent, want your child to behave. On an alternative note, why are we encouraging a child to be nicer to a child who is bothering her? Why are we not encouraging the child to speak to an adult about the unwanted attention?
Not recommended.
Although well-intentioned, this title is problematic. We have a young girl being repeatedly bothered by another student. Her father tells her that he hero would be nicer to the other child. First, when correcting behavior, it is a parent's job to say "that behavior is not ok"; what another person would do is not the point. The point is how you, the parent, want your child to behave. On an alternative note, why are we encouraging a child to be nicer to a child who is bothering her? Why are we not encouraging the child to speak to an adult about the unwanted attention?
Not recommended.
August 24, 2026
Adored this one: the style, the era, the MC and dad, the hero, and the learning curve!
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September 2, 2026Good tennis book with a story narrative if kid loves tennis. Would wait until Kinder for the lesson to sink in better.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews