Jabari Jumps is one of our most recommended children’s books about courage. We simply love this story about courage and the tender relationship between Jabari and his dad. Check it out our review of Jabari Jumps below!
My boys are as different as night and day. My little one is fearless, but my big one— well, not so much. He’s getting a little bolder as he gets older, but the child is scared of many, many things. Enter Jabari Jumps, one of my absolute favorite picture books of 2017, written and illustrated by Gaia Cornwall. Oh, how we love this sweet story of overcoming fear!
A look inside Jabari Jumps
In Jabari Jumps, young Jabari and his family hit the city pool on a beautiful summer day. Jabari is quite excited to let his dad know that today is the day he will jump off the high diving board.
In fact, he boasts about what a great jumper he is and even tells his dad he is not scared at all. Yet, when it is time to climb the ladder, Jabari feels a little bit tired. Maybe he should take a rest?
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Jabari then let’s some of the other kids go ahead of him. Then, of course, he has to take some time to decide what kind of jump he wants to do.
So, he thinks. And he thinks. And he stalls.
Will Jabari overcome his fear of the board and find his way to take the plunge?
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Jabari Jumps features a beautiful relationship and a relatable scenario
In Jabari Jumps, Cornwall created lovable, memorable characters in both Jabari and his compassionate father.
Jabari is perfectly true to life as he grapples with learning a new skill and attempting to take action. His struggles and hesitations perfectly mirror those my own kids have had so many times. Yet with some support from his dad, and a little breathing room, Jabari perseveres.
His dad is tender and patient, encouraging Jabari where necessary but also recognizing when to allow his child to step back from an anxiety-inducing event and take some time to breathe. The two are a perfect pair.
Couple the gentle story with mixed-media illustrations that both complement and accentuate Jabari’s fear and joy, and you’ve got a winning picture book to add to both school and home collections. Pair this with one of our favorite books from 2016, Hannah and Sugar by Kate Berube, (see our review here!) and your little ones will have some phenomenal stories to help them overcome their most daunting fears. A wonderful debut!
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Frequently Asked Questions
We all get scared of things, especially when we are going to try something we have never done before. Fear is normal in new situations, and sometimes taking a rest, thinking, and deep breathing is what we need to find our inner courage before we can proceed and overcome our nerves.
There is no right or wrong age for children to read Jabari Jumps! While I find it effective for all ages, I find it resonates most with preschoolers through first graders.
Of course! We have a great list of children’s books about courage right here!
RELATED: Are your kids starting to read? Check out the best books for beginning readers and these kindergarten books for developing readers!
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