When Vern goes to the park he wishes he could swing like the other kids “who swooped until their toes touched the sky.” First he needs to learn how to pump. He tries to ignore the kids who say it’s easy and yells at his legs to pump, but he stays earthbound. It’s not until Gretchen offers advice (“lean back and keep your legs very straight”) and encouragement (“It feels hard until you get it, and then it’s not”) that Vern starts to make progress. After many attempts and failures, Vern’s toes touch the sky just as he’d wished. Now it’s his turn to teach another child how to pump a swing, his empathy paired with fresh memories of his own frustration. Colorful mixed-media illustrations vibrate with movement and energy, while the font swings across the page along with the children. Vern appears white and wears his hair long.