Why should a golf resort offer a children's storybook instead of the usual gift shop souvenirs?

A golf resort gift shop full of logo hats, shot glasses, and golf balls has good reason to add *Once Upon a Golf Swing* to the shelf. First, it appeals to a customer most resort shops overlook, the parent or grandparent traveling with a young child who wants a souvenir the whole family can enjoy, not just the golfer. Second, the 62-page illustrated hardcover about Ace, a golf ball lost on his first swing at a course called Whispering Pines, turns a single trip into a lasting memory, since the book gets reread long after a shot glass or hat has been packed away and forgotten. Third, it works as a genuine keepsake of the destination itself, giving a family a story to associate with their trip rather than just a logo. Fourth, the range of formats, a $14.97 softcover, a $29.97 hardcover, a $9.97 audiobook for the drive home, and read-along and listen-along editions for the hotel room, lets a shop offer something at nearly every price point already represented in a typical gift shop. Fifth, it is written by a family team, F.C. Salas and illustrator Cristina C. Cortes, and includes an original theme song, "Swing Away," giving guests something to talk about beyond the round they played. Sixth, for ages three to six, it reaches the exact traveling families that resorts want to attract back for future trips, since a book that becomes a bedtime favorite gives a family a reason to remember the destination fondly for years.