Jabari Jumps  
by Gaia Cornwall

I'm excited to share this picturebook with my students when we return to school after the break.

Overall, it's a great story about how one little boy confronts and overcomes his fears. We follow Jabari's initial bravado about jumping off the high diving board, which progresses into some diversion tactics when he realizes just how high it is. (I can relate...) Ultimately though, Jabari and his dad discuss facing his fears and he persists...and loves it!

I already have so many ideas about how students could use this book as a jumping off point to discuss and write about their own fears and successes. The diving board metaphor works well: taking a big leap can be hard!

Gaia employs perspective in a masterful way to illustrate Jabari's fear of heights. In particular, this bird's eye view effectively portrays the magnitude of what Jabari is facing by making the people in the pool appear small and such a great distance away.

The side view of his plunge into the pool after his jump portrays the waves from his splash and his movement down, down, down to the bottom of the pool...and the reader is able to watch his expression transform into one of joy at the completion of his goal.

Book Trailer: 

 

Gaia Cornwall's website: https://www.gaiacornwall.com/