Jabari Jumps Paperback – Picture Book, April 7, 2020

Every once in awhile, a story comes along and fills a hole in the picture book universe. Maybe we knew about the void, like how few children’s books feature main characters of color, or perhaps we only realize what we’ve been missing in retrospect, like tales with a competent, emotionally attentive male caregiver. Through a carefully crafted plot and wonderfully expressive illustrations, Jabari Jumps does just that, claiming a spot in the story-time queue it won’t soon relinquish.In her debut picture book, author-illustrator Gaia Cornwall gives us an African American child doing something sure to resonate with any young reader: getting nervous about tackling a new skill. “I’m jumping off the diving board today,” the goggle-wearing boy tells his dad, “I’m not scared at all.” Jabari watches the other kids climb the long ladder and says it looks easy. “But when his dad squeezed his hand, Jabari squeezed back.” As Jabari repeatedly tries to summon the courage to take the plunge, his father checks in. “Maybe you should climb down and take a tiny rest,” he offers, “it’s okay to feel a little scared.”As all this unfolds, young readers will delight in fun sound effects (“Splash!”), just the right amount of repetition (“Down, down, down he went”), and illustrations somehow brimming with both realism and whimsy. The dedication and cover pages, for example, show Jabari changing into his swimsuit in precisely the way anyone his age would: he gets his head stuck in his shirt, sits down to remove his socks, and must mix a little pretending to be a penguin into the process. Side stories sprinkled throughout, like the kid chasing a bug or the one grimacing as sunblock is applied, are also sure to capture little imaginations.For adults, there’s more. Near the end, for example, Jabari’s dad shouts, “You did it!” rather than “Good job!”—reflecting the very latest in social science research on parenting (we are to encourage, the experts say, not praise). The pictures have a high-art feel with soothing yet vibrant colors and inventive patterns, such as the buildings constructed in newsprint and the bathing suit worn by Jabari’s little sister that changes with each turn of the page. And Cornwall’s use of perspective? Oh my. We see Jabari looking out at the world from the tip of the diving board on one breathtaking spread, and on another page he gazes straight down at the tops of people’s heads and his own toes “curled around the rough edge.”To have a story set at a public swimming pool about a black boy, as well as a father and sister who sport slightly different skin tones, shows Cornwall’s awareness of her book’s place in the ongoing civil rights movement. At the same time, the story isn’t about race. Jabari is just a little boy contemplating a big leap, who happens to have brown skin.Just in time for summer, Jabari, his dad, and Cornwall are ready to splash their way into readers’ hearts—and our notion of how a family looks and acts.

Loved this book for our summer fun week in prek classroom for autistic kiddos . Great story about supporting someone has they try something new and about persevering when we are challenged by something new

This is an adorable book about a child overcoming fear without shame. It's beautifully illustrated and the perfect length for a 3 year old. Great for the summer / swim season too.

My grands love it.

Gorgeous, unique illustrations combine with a universally-appealing story in this new children's book, which feels destined to become a classic. The story is deceptively simple but perfectly executed -- a little boy who says he's ready to jump off the diving board, except he's actually a little afraid and needs some gentle support and encouragement from dad to find the courage in himself. We have many, MANY books in our house but my nearly four-year-old daughter keeps coming back to this one. We read it multiple times the first day we bought it and it has been in heavy rotation ever since. In fact, it was such a hit that I took it to read at her preschool this week. The kids were mesmerized and listened in rapt attention (which is rare for this age, even when reading hits by the likes of Mo Willems or Shel Silverstein). As soon as I finished they asked me to read it again. And then many of them wanted to page through it later in the day, revisiting the illustrations and talking about the story. It's hard to beat the endorsement of 14 preschoolers!

One of the first things the children see is that Jabari is going swimming just like they love to do as well. I like to point out the building in the background and how they look like a city we live near or have visited. That's when they ask questions about the artwork. <3 Beautifully illustrated with vibrant water scenes that pull you right into the feeling of summer. The story about Jabari comes to life as the children see him talk through is bravery, and uncertainty. When asked "what do you think he's feeling here," the children talk about how they feel when they tried to jump in the deep end, or what types of tricks they used to avoid water up their noses. DON'T MISS THE TITLE PAGE! That opening moment shows us how Jabari prepared for his day before the book starts.

This book is so lovely in so many ways. My summer enrichment program students and I read this to begin discussing our theme: how are we nurtured and what do we need to soar? It was perfect selection.I chose this particular book, and not the similarly themed book Courage by Bernard Waber, in response to the New York Times piece entitled Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books? In that 2014 article the African-American poet Walter Dean Myers makes the astonishing point that of the 3,200 children’s books published in 2013 just 93 featured black characters--less than three percent.During my search for the perfect read aloud (beautifully illustrated, just the right length and addressing nurturing, roots, courage) I found several books about white children. I wondered the race of the protagonist really matters. I was tempted to “not worry about it.” Then I’d remember Myers’ writing. I was thrilled to share a beautiful book about bravery, perseverance and a father's gentle support with my students.Thank you Gaia Cornwall for this contribution to children's literature!

Fantastic book to read to elementary students