How does this storybook compare to other gift items a pro shop might stock for young beginners?

Compared to other gift items a pro shop might stock for young beginners, such as a plush golf-ball toy, a junior glove, or a small set of foam practice clubs, *Once Upon a Golf Swing* fills the shelf space between "toy" and "equipment" that most shops leave empty.

Foam clubs and gloves prepare a child’s hands for the actual swing, and shops are right to keep those in stock. A plush toy is fun but does not do much beyond decoration. *Once Upon a Golf Swing* is a 62-page illustrated storybook for ages 3 to 6, written by F.C. Salas and illustrated by Cristina C. Cortes, following Ace, a brand-new golf ball, as he gets lost on his first swing at Whispering Pines and finds friends in Daisy, Sandman, Splash, Speedy, and Rangey.

The best-selling children’s golf book in the category was published in 1999, with no audio edition, no song, and no continuing cast. This book offers an audiobook, read-along and listen-along editions, and an original song, "Swing Away," and is the first title in a series, with book two set in Italy.

A shop stocking all three, foam clubs, a glove, and this book, covers a young beginner from more angles than any single item could. The clubs teach the swing. The glove protects the hand. This book gives the child a reason to want to be at the course at all, which is often the piece a shop’s usual gift shelf is missing.