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  • Jabari Jumps by Cornwall, Gaia
  • Elizabeth Bush
Cornwall, Gaia Jabari Jumps; written and illus. by Gaia Cornwall. Candlewick, 2017 [32p]
ISBN 978-0-7636-7838-8 $15.99
Reviewed from galleys         R* 3-6 yrs

Today is the day. Swim trunks—check. Goggles—check. High dive at the pool—bring it on. Jabari's a great jumper, after all, so he insists he's not scared in the least. Dad is keeping his own counsel on this one, holding his son's hand as they scope out the board: "'Looks easy,' Jabari said. But when his dad squeezed his hand, Jabari squeezed back." Jabari approaches the ladder, and then lets other kids go first. All of them. Halfway up the ladder, he takes Dad's suggestion that he break for "a tiny rest." Do a little stretching. Maybe wait until tomorrow. Then he thinks about Dad's comment that sometimes a scary thing can feel like a surprise. Up the ladder and off the board Jabari jumps, surfaces, triumphs: "Surprise double backflip is next!" There are plenty of picture books reassuring kids who don't quite achieve their own goals when they want to (see, for example, Ashley Spires's The Thing Lou Couldn't Do, BCCB 4/17), but here Cornwall celebrates success earned through overcoming fears and through reliance on the supportive presence of a loving parent. The collage and mixed-media artwork, with deep brown skinned Jabari and his family solid figures against the cool turquoise of the pool and surrounding urban greenery, captures Jabari's trepidation and courage as he approaches the diving board—the ladder that seems to go up forever—and peers down to the water, which looks to be miles below his toes. Pool season is right around the corner, and this funny and joyful outing will put everyone in the mood for a dip.

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