FICTION

Jump for Joy

by Karen Gray Ruelle (text) & illus. by Hadley Hooper
Astra. Jan. 2024. 32p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781662602023.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1–With almost lyrical cadence, Ruelle spins a delightful tale about a girl named Joy and a dog named Jump. The story features the perspective of both characters yearning to find their forever companion. Joy has always wanted a dog, any kind of dog. Jump has always wanted a kid, any kid. Every time Joy attempts to create a dog using whatever material is available—flowers, seashells, sticks, sand, mud, and snow—it crumbles. The same goes for Jump each time he tries to make his own child. While visiting the flowers and ferns the following spring, the two lost souls notice one another. Hooper’s clever illustrations are mostly black and white until the end when full-color scenes explosively complement the words: “Joy jumped for joy and Jump jumped for Joy.”
VERDICT A simple yet touching story about finding our forever friends. The wordplay makes this a fun book to read to children.
Reviewed by Jane Huh , Mar 29, 2024

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