“Jack Wong was such an amazing speaker (not to mention author and illustrator). As a school who values introverts, he did such a good job showing that introverts can do big things in a quiet way. The world needs more gentle, intuitive speakers and authors for today’s children. We would have him back in a heartbeat. All the kids connected with him and loved his book!” — Heather Maxwell (Library Director, Trinity School), 2023
“Jack had an easy way with students and kept them engaged by sharing pieces of his life as a child and by helping students relate to his personal stories and struggles—thus developing a connection with the students. The added bonus of showing students how to draw characters was a huge hit.” — David O’Connell (Head of School, The Saklan School), 2023
“Our students loved spending time with Jack! His storytelling is so authentic and our students particularly enjoyed drawing with him, too! We all learned that we could draw anything if we just put it in water!” — Annette Sodergren (Library Media Assistant, Walnut Grove Elementary School), 2023
“Jack had a short and strong presentation, and his ease with the kids was great. And of course, his book is a stand out. All around it was a wonderful visit.” — Joe Corbett (Librarian, New City School), 2023
“Our schools loved Jack’s visit. He did such a great job interacting with the kids.” — Jenny Chou (School Event Coordinator, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee), 2023
“The schools were especially appreciative of the interactive portion of Jack’s visit.” — Lorie Barber (Education Director, Anderson’s Bookshop, Chicago), 2023
“In visually inventive, lovingly finished pastel-and-watercolor spreads and sinuous lines of prose-poetry, debut author-illustrator Wong showcases myriad children encountering the joys of swimming…. Such belonging is precisely the triumph that the story envisions, offering swimming’s freedoms widely, and imagining the way that swimming can lend a feeling of autonomy and connection.” — Starred review of WHEN YOU CAN SWIM from Publisher’s Weekly
“Each frame immediately immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and sensations of summer. Swimmers who are diverse in terms of body type, age, skin tone, and ability can be seen enjoying the natural world…. The title is bound to inspire all swimmers to embrace nature, no matter where they are on their journey.” — Starred review of WHEN YOU CAN SWIM from Kirkus Reviews
“Text and illustrations merge seamlessly to illuminate the ways in which swimming animates all the senses, and Wong writes with beguiling lyricism and figurative language.” — Starred review of WHEN YOU CAN SWIM from BookPage
“With poetic text and gorgeous, inclusive illustrations, Wong invites readers to learn how to swim — to conquer fear of the water, and also to reclaim aquatic spaces for Brown, Black, and differently abled bodies…. This isn’t just a book about swimming but also ‘about our ideas of the world’; it’s a manifesto that ‘this belongs to you, too.’” — Starred review of WHEN YOU CAN SWIM from The Horn Book Magazine
