Jump

May 1, 2018
One powerful verb, simply repeated, makes for an action-packed beginning reader. The same winsome lad readers met in Bad Dog (2014) returns in another, even easier reader. The verb phrase "can jump" appears on every spread, while the subject--who is doing the jumping--changes. The repetitive text in a clear san serif type is always set on the left-hand side of each double-page spread, ensuring that new readers know exactly where to focus. McPhail's pen-and-ink drawings tinted with watercolor against white backgrounds provide context clues. The blond, pale-skinned boy is quickly joined by a slightly darker-skinned girl with dark brown hair in an Afro. Familiar animals that jump are introduced first: a bug, a frog, a rabbit. The choice of animals grows increasingly fanciful: a kangaroo (with the two children riding in its pouch), a cow (jumping over the moon, of course), and a hippo. The next-to-last spread reprises all the jumpers and offers the straightforward text "We can jump." The final spread, "You can jump," shows the two children and the sneaker-clad feet of a third child jumping off the top corner of the page. The same pastoral and wordless farm scene opens and closes the book.Don't expect the newest readers to sit still for this one. They'll want to jump right into reading. (Early reader. 4-8)

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July 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-This title focuses on various things that can jump, starting with a boy and a girl, followed by a bug, a frog, and a rabbit. They all demonstrate their jumping abilities, as does a kangaroo, a hippo, and the cow who jumped over the moon. Lots of white space on the page highlights the actions from the two children and their animal pals. The white space also makes the text stand out, rendering it easy for young readers to find. The simple sentences are variations on a theme ("A rabbit can jump." "We can jump.") and will help readers to make connections from the text on the page to the illustrations. McPhail's pictures are very expressive and are done in watercolor. Despite being a book about the action of jumping, the overall effect is quite serene and reassuring. This could make a good toddler storytime read, but kids who are interested in independent reading will likely read it over and over again. VERDICT A charming early reader that would make a fine purchase for most collections.-Gretchen Hardin, Sterling Municipal Library, Baytown, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
This fanciful large-trim early reader pairs McPhail's gentle pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations with an extremely limited vocabulary ("A cow can jump. / A hippo can jump. / We can jump"). The seeming weightlessness of the various creatures in the pictures lends the book a pleasing silliness--particularly when the cow jumps over the moon and the hippo happily bounces along--but it doesn't overpower the simple reading lesson.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)