Swinging for Joy by Aishah Hight is a sweet little children’s book that packs several big messages. London’s dog, Joy, loves to swing, help others, and grant wishes. Joy is blind, but she does not let that stop her. Together, Joy and London meet a sad young boy that needs help. He has lost his grandfather’s special hat. So the three of them set out to find the hat that had blown away and disappeared. What made the hat so special? Why was the boy so sad? How can a blind dog help anyone? These and many other questions are answered in this book. Your child will love the results and learning about helping others. They will be encouraged to be empathetic, kind, and helpful. This book teaches children many important life values.

Reading serves many purposes, and Swinging for Joy highlights several. Reading this book with your child opens the door for several discussions, including how they can help others. It also shows the ability of those who are differently-abled. In this case, it is a differently-abled dog. Still, the story shows that even those who are different are important and capable. The book also teaches that instead of whining about our own problems, it is better to help someone else with their problems. Finally, friendships are important, and the author, Aishah Hight, shows that helping others can often develop into friendship. The hat is from the boy’s great-grandfather, a Tuskegee Airman. Be sure to discuss with your child the importance of these brave men. Enjoy reading this book and looking at the illustrations by Whimsical Designs Cj.

Swinging for Joy, written by Aishah Hight and illustrated by Whimsical Designs by CJ, is a children's picture book and part of the London Learns series. The book begins with an introduction to a little girl named London and her dog Joy, who are described as loving to visit the park and play on the swing set. Joy is a pup with the gift of true empathy and London can confide in her when she is down, and rely on her when she is in need. On one particular day at the park, they come across a young boy who is crying over the loss of a special hat. They discover that Joy is blind but her other senses are strong and the search for the hat begins in earnest, and it is eventually found with Joy’s help.

Swinging for Joy is a cute story that emphasizes the power of a positive outlook to achieve a positive outcome, and the importance of believing in oneself and the goodness of others who might not immediately seem like they can help. London and Joy are wonderful characters and Aishah Hight does well in making the theme clear. Some awkward prose and dialogue tags can slow a young reader down, but the story is engrossing enough to keep the pages turning. The stars of most children's picture books are usually the illustrations themselves, and Whimsical Designs by Cj has crafted gorgeous, captivating artwork that breathes life into the story with stunningly jeweled tones. The shadowing and gradients of color have a luminous, almost watercolor quality to them and are first-rate. Also, as a man of color raising children of color, having characters in a story that resemble those in my home is a major plus. Overall, this is a story that was enjoyable as part of the bedtime routine. I recommended Swinging for Joy to all readers with children.