Sward's first book, "Uncle Dog & Other Poems" (1962), was published by Putnam & Co. in England. It was followed by "Kissing the Dancer" (Cornell University Press, 1964), with an Introduction by Pulitzer Prize poet William Meredith. "The Carleton Miscellany" reviewed the book saying, "In the animal poems there is a bravery in the face of our limitations, a warmth for our absurdities, a way of life to be gleaned from our failings and ineptitudes... a self-critique that turns our freakishness into an ironic source of fulfillment and transcendence." Source: Theodore Holmes in "The Carleton Miscellany" 1964. The poem, "Uncle Dog: The Poet At 9", has been frequently anthologized and Sward continues to write about exotic animals and dogs in particular. Animated videos of these works (mini-movies with poetry) employ avatars, digital representations of the poet and his subjects, and appear in DVD format and online at Blue's Cruzio Cafe.