Jabari Jumps

I loved this book. Partially because I still dread the diving board. But also because I learned last month about the huge disparity in numbers of white children and black children enrolled in swimming lessons(which stems from racist policies). When you look at that Jabari's actions are even more meaningful. And I loved his father's encouragement and compassion. All in all a fantastic book.

I enjoyed Jabari Jumps because it contains a well-illustrated and relatable narrative that encourages a growth mindset in readers. One aspect about the illustrations that I enjoyed was the way Cornwall effectively transitioned between full page spreads, and paneled illustrations. For example, when Jabari stands at the bottom of the ladder and looks up this is a full page illustration which helps to emphasize how tall the ladder is. In the next page over Cornwall uses horizontal panels stacked on top of each other to show Jabari letting kids go in front of him in the line for the diving board "so he can think of a cool jump." This helps show his nervousness without directly stating so. One of my favorite moments in this book occurs when show more Jabari's dad tells him that "it's okay to feel a little scared," and shares what strategies he uses when he feels scared himself. I liked that an adult character talked about being scared, and gave helpful advice in a way that did not seem pressuring. Ultimately, it was Jabari's decision when and how to jump, which is important. I also like that the book shows Jabari doing deep breathing, and describes how he can feel his breath travel "from the ends of his hair right down to the tips of his toes." This is a mindfulness exercise which can really help a lot of students. It is nice to see a character in a children's book engage in this practice in an authentic context. Ultimately, the big picture of this book is that it is OK to be scared, and that sometimes what seems scary can end up feeling a little like a surprise. show less

This was a super cute story about Jabari overcoming his nervousness about jumping off the diving board. He decides today's the day he's gonna do it, but standing at the bottom of the ladder is a little intimidating and he keeps finding excuses to let others go before him. Eventually his dad tells him it's okay to be scared and sometimes you just need to take a big breath and think of it as a surprise, rather than something to be scared of. With a little more work, Jabari is able to make that big leap and he absolutely loves the experience.

I adored the illustrations in this book. Cornwall uses a mix of pencil, watercolor, collage, and digital coloring and it's just beautifully done. I loved the blue and green palette of the book, which show more gives off a fresh, swimming-pool-on-a-summer-day vibe. I loved the little bits of newspaper that were used on large white spaces and the buildings in the background. I'm not sure why exactly I liked them so much, but I really really did. show less

A decent book to check out of the library, about a child overcoming his fear of the diving board. It includes a supportive father, and it has a cheerful ending. But it doesn't ring true, for some reason. For example, the artist uses a high diving board (and no low boards pictured), I assume for artistic effect, but a low diving board makes the most sense in the development of a child (the child has just finished swim lessons, and no mention of a low board is given). It seems that the publisher chose simplicity as a book design choice, both in story and art, and I think the book is worse off because of it. Perhaps what seems artificial to me is that the book design appears fit for a younger audience-- ages 2-4. Maybe my dissatisfaction show more is simply that I expected the book to be a good fit for the 5-7 year old audience, and it's not quite right. show less

This book checks off almost all of the things I like in a picture book. The illustrations are really cute and lovely, the characters are diverse, the story is relatable, the ending is happy and kind of funny, it's got a nice portrayal of a dad taking care of kids by himself (either because he's a single dad or because the other parent happens to be elsewhere)...but it's too nice somehow? Like it kind of gives me Caillou vibes which maybe is just my bias against Caillou showing. And...I did just spend 20 minutes reading through the FAQ and comments on the Caillou website which is a weird place on the internet to get stuck in, but does contain a debate about whether or not children need both a mother and father figure to "fully construct show more their identity"...ANYWAY back to the review at hand which is that I would recommend Jabari Jumps, it's a good book. show less

This is a cute book about a young boy at the pool with his brother and father. He has finished his swim lessons and wants to go off of the high dive. Fear over takes him. He tells his dad that maybe he'll jump next time. He begins to make excuses. The way he comes to his final decision reminded me of the self-talk kids and adults do when they are afraid. My sixth grade students loved this book

Jabari Jumps is a very sweet, short children’s book following little Jabari as he tries to work up the courage to jump off the diving board. The book shows children that everyone gets scared sometimes and that it is normal and okay. It also shows them how Jabari’s dad helps him to overcome his fears.The pages are filled with exquisite illustrations that really capture how Jabari is feeling. I also love how there are images in the background that are made out of what looks like pages out of a book. The illustrations also clearly show what is happening in the story and a non-reader would be able to make out the story from these alone.