Then he actually confronts the ladder to thet high board, and he finds himself a little intimidated. A sweet, heart-warming tale that is perfect to promote discussion on anxieties and worries to use alongside our Worry Box Activity Pack. Jabari Jumps is about a young African-American boy who is having lots of fun at the local outdoor pool with his father and sister. Check out the teaching ideas for reading comprehension strategies, grammar topics and social emotional learning skills that can be taught using this children’s book. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!

Jabari Jumps Activities - Novel Effect Jabari Jumps Activities - Novel Effect

Through a carefully crafted plot and wonderfully expressive illustrations, Jabari Jumps does just that, claiming a spot in the story-time queue it won’t soon relinquish.Anyone who has hesitated on the brink of something daunting—a brave act or a big decision—will feel a rush of kinship with the small protagonist of Gaia Cornwall’s picture book “Jabari Jumps”. Lovely illustrations, diverse characters, and an important message that it's OK to be scared of something new (jumping off the diving board the first time - something many can relate to) and how to be brave in facing those fears. A bird’s-eye view of Jabari’s toes clinging to the edge of the diving board as he looks way, way down at the blue pool below puts readers in his head and in the action. The illustrations by the author have subtle comments to them, such as the illustration that shows Jabari has let a lot more than one person go ahead of him in line for the diving board. The dialogue and text are straightforward and make a nice pairing with the creatively chosen angles for the illustrations…a welcome piece for any summertime collection.

Sample - Steps to Literacy Keywords Sample - Steps to Literacy

I also love how there are images in the background that are made out of what looks like pages out of a book. I can relate to the way the Jabari is scared to jump at the beginning and comes up with many different reasons why he isn't ready to jump yet. This book is a wonderful example of how a classic concept or lesson can be made stunning by the right hand. We badly need more books encouraging young people to feel positive about swimming and diving, particularly here in Southern California! Gaia Cornwall is an illustrator who loves making patterns for surface design, illustrating for children, and writing picture books.

And because she's brilliant, she recommended this book to me instead of some 250 page self help book, that I'm sure would have been well written, but would also definitely have gotten lost in the shuffle of my life. After downloading the Jabari Jumps activities, read the book with the soundscape in your Novel Effect app! The way that Jabari's dad told him that it was okay to be nervous about the jump but that you ultimately have to believe in yourself and trust that you are capable is a really powerful message. It makes such a great mentor text for teaching reading strategies and introducing different types of writing. He has a sudden urge to do a vigorous round of stretching exercises, have a little rest and let every other child in the pool go ahead of him.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall is a beautiful EYFS/KS1 story Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall is a beautiful EYFS/KS1 story

Gaia Cornwall wrote and illustrated this charming story of Jabari who goes to the swimming pool with his father and younger sister and promises that this is the day he will jump off the diving board…Young readers will want to hear or Jabari’s challenge again and again. You just might surprise yourself if you dig down deep and find the courage to do something that scares you.It's still a great book about a child overcoming his fears to do something he has been longing to do--jump off the high diving board. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

Jabari Jumps, Courage, and Being Patient with Fear Jabari Jumps, Courage, and Being Patient with Fear

As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. As he’s recently learned to swim, he decides that he’s now ready to make his first jump from the pool’s diving board. We believe read alouds are so important which is why we’ve designed these activities in hopes that it can allow teachers to do read alouds more often. I was also ridiculously excited because it had representation of a black family and wasn't centered around a Big Serious Issue (civil rights, police brutality, discrimination, slavery, etc). If you purchase anything through them, I will get a small referral fee and you will be supporting me and my blog at no extra cost to you, so thank you!This book teaches children a way to over come a fear, and the reward that comes along with facing them. With a calm, supportive father there to provide just enough encouragement, Jabari finds the inner strength to conquer his fears.