Written and Illustrated by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari, his little sister, and their father are at a community pool when he announces that he wants to jump off of the diving board. Having taken and passed swimming lessons, Jabari feels like he is ready to conquer this challenge. As they get closer to the board, though, he notices that it is a really really high challenge! A bit of nerves overcome him as he stands at the base of the ladder to the diving board. The nerves are close to winning, until his dad offers Jabari a tip on conquering fears. This works like a charm because Jabari is able to face down his fears and make a spectacular SPLASH!
I like that Jabari’s dad didn’t try to force him to jump when he was scared. Instead, he offered him a method to reframe his fears and let Jabari decide if he was ready or not. I wonder the result if Jabari’s father had insisted on him jumping instead of Jabari making the decision on his own. Sometimes, when parents force children to overcome fears before they’re ready, it’s more traumatizing than empowering. Jabari’s father offered him a different way to think about his fears that Jabari will be able to use not just for diving, but for other fears that are a natural part of growing.
It’s the perfect length for a bed-time story! The illustrations work well to accentuate the story and sets the tone of this picture book. Jabari Jumps is a nice story and very appropriate for summer.