Jabari Jumps has it all–gorgeous and creative illustrations, family connection, diversity, a supportive father figure, lively text, and a crucial message.
Jabari, a young boy of perhaps seven years old, is at the pool with his Dad and little sister. He has graduated swim lessons, taken his swimming test, and decides he is ready to try the diving board. As he begins to climb the ladder, however, suddenly he doesn’t feel so confident. His dad, ever-gentle and supportive of Jabari, suggests that Jabari “climb down and take a tiny rest.” Jabari takes his advice and tells his dad he wants to try tomorrow, instead. His dad responds with words that change everything for Jabari:
“It’s ok to feel a little scared [. . .] Sometimes, if I feel a little scared, I take a deep breath and tell myself I am ready. And you know what? Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels a little like a surprise.”
Sometimes, if I feel a little scared, I take a deep breath and tell myself I am ready. And you know what? Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels a little like a surprise.
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
This time, as Jabari climbs the ladder and peeks over the board’s edge to his father and sister far below, he takes a big breath, and whispers to himself:
“I love surprises.”
And he jumps.
The book concludes with Jabari exultantly announcing, “Surprise double backflip is next!”
Content: 5/5
The book’s message is simple: when we re-imagine the emotion of fear as the emotion of excitement, we can make our emotions work for us rather than against us. The “fear” emotion that feels so “icky” often signals an exciting opportunity, and it can spur us on toward bold action rather than holding us back. Jabari’s father helps Jabari turn the negative energy of fear into the positive energy of excitement, shifting his mental perspective from “what if??” to “what if!”
I also love how Jabari Jumps features a supportive, caring father–something many childrens’ books lack in choosing to focus on the mother-child connection. In this story, Jabari’s dad shows patience, gentleness, and unconditional support: when Jabari begins to get scared, he suggests a rest; when Jabari decides he’d rather jump another day, his dad doesn’t shame him or even try to convince him otherwise. What he does do is acknowledge and validate Jabari’s feelings, while simultaneously offering some encouragement from personal experience. And after Jabari resurfaces from his first jump, Jabari’s dad celebrates with him.
Design: 5/5
Finally, the illustrations are captivating. Painting in vivid colors, the author uses different perspectives so that the reader feels like he/she is climbing up the diving board ladder with Jabari, peeking over the edge of the board and seeing Jabari’s father and little sister far below, and finally landing with a terrific splash (chlorine filling our nostrils and throats) in the beautiful blue water below.
Rating: 15/15
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