Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall (2017) is a gentle story about a little boy summoning up enough courage to jump from the diving board at a city pool. We can infer this from the cover art. Jabari’s dad listens with understanding. He validates Jabari’s multiple forms of hesitation and speaks kind words of encouragement. Jabari lets the children in line behind him jump first. He climbs the tall ladder of the diving board only part way and decides to climb back down for a tiny rest. He’s down right adorable. He looks at the diving board with high hopes yet real anxiety. When his dad reframes the situation, Jabari jumps.
