Spirit by Cherri Ryan illustrated by Christina Booth

To me, the title of Spirit sums up the theme of the book. It conjures up the strength of spirit that each of us has inside ourselves and our character has to find when Spirit encounters a big crash. 

Cherri Ryan

I built a ship from this and that.

I named her Spirit.

Could Spirit sail?

I knew she could.

In the garden Spirit's handkerchief sail helps her glide across the lily pond. Over the coming days the little girl takes Spirit into larger and larger bodies of water. At night, in her dreams, she imagines herself on board her boat oiling the hull, polishing the deck, tightening the sails. But this little vessel is fragile. What will happen when she is pushed against the rocks?

"I searched for her, left and right. Where was she? There! I plummeted into the reeds. I lifted my broken Spirit and cradled her. All through the night, I tended her, and mended her, from this and that. By morning I knew Spirit was not broken. She was stronger. My Spirit was stronger than ever before."

How did I miss this book back in 2018? And how did the CBCA miss it in their 2019 Notables? This is one of those special books you could share with your younger group aged 6+ and also with upper Primary readers. Christina Booth is a fabulous Australian illustrator - you can see more of her books here. We (IBBY Australia) did contact Christina Booth asking if she might like to participate in our Mini Masterpiece art auction. If we run this again in 2027 I hope we can entice her to support us - I would love to own a piece of her art. 

Spirit is a NSW Premier's Reading Challenge title. If you read PRC titles your library Spirit is a K-2 PRC title [31130] or you could encourage a teacher of Grades 4-6 to share this with their class. Sailing fans will enjoy all the nautical references but there are also deeper themes to consider and discuss. 

Here is an interview with the author and a quote:

Approximately five years ago, I came up with a story idea, which I originally called ‘My ship won’t sink’ which was about a child going through some difficult times and he turned his bed into a pirate-style ship and added planks and all sort of bits to it whenever he felt he needed to add strength to his life. That story sat in my mind for a long time while I worked on other things. One day, I was driving to work when the story began to change in my mind and I pulled over my car and scribbled it onto the back of a receipt in my glove box as I knew that this was how the story was meant to be. At that stage it was called ‘Hope’ but other than a few small changes, it was very similar to the final story. I learned that a child’s first sailing boat is called an ‘Opti’ which is short for ‘Optimists’ and I thought that concept also captured my story.

Reading Time said: This is a special picture book that sends a message of persistence and resilience, and the importance of trying again and again if we do not first succeed. Highly recommended for all school and public libraries, this is one to watch out for.

This is a wonderfully positive story to read with young children, reaffirming the reality of not always being successful but encouraging them to try again. Read Plus

Spirit is a deceptively simple story about a boat being mended after each foray into the world but as the title indicates Spirit is also a parable for everyone who has ever set out into the perilous unknown seeking their destiny and as such is a positive message to children to persevere and believe in themselves and their dreams. Story Links

Companion book:

The Little Boat

Dingo's Dream by Helen Milroy

Bookseller blurb: There is someone in distress, but who? Dingo checks on everyone in his community but they're all fine. He mounts a search and rescue mission. He searches all over the countryside until he stumbles across his homeland he hasn't visited for many years and is now an empty landscape. They find a strange animal stranded at the bottom of ravine. It was Dingo s country that called him to rescue the stranger - a Tasmanian Devil a long way from home. Dingo remembers the packs of dingoes who sang at sunset long ago and he goes back and sings, and soon many packs of dingoes are singing at sunset again. Tasmanian Devil helps Dingo on his way home and tells all the dingoes across the land, their country is calling them home.

The stunning illustrations on glossy pages are a visual delight with the white text being a standout feature. This skilfully written narrative is highly accessible and would be a perfect read for those Early Years children seeking an early chapter book or would be an entertaining short novel to be read aloud in class. Read Plus

Read more about Dingoes - Bush Heritage Australia.

Taronga Zoo

This book is part of a series by Helen Milroy from Magabala Books (thanks for my review copy). Dingo's Dream is the first book from the second series. You should try to collect all of these for your school library. 

Tales from the Bush Mob are books about a group of animals who work together to solve problems. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Each book shares a rich landscape of characters and places, including Dingo, Willy-willy Wagtail, Eagle, Platypus, Koala, Wombat, Kookaburra, Echidna and Kangaroo. These stories emphasise the value of respect for First Nations culture and country, as well as the importance of courage, 

perseverance and wisdom to bind communities together.

Helen Milroy is a born storyteller and a talented artist. She is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia but was born and educated in Perth. Currently Helen is the University of Western Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Helen has been on state and national mental health and research advisory committees and boards with a particular focus on Indigenous mental health as well as the wellbeing of children.

Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson illustrated by Jane Chapman

Book seller blurb: It’s Christmastime, and Mortimer Mouse, unhappy in his cramped, cold hole, goes in search of a new home. He spies a nativity scene that looks just right for him, so he moves the statues out and settles himself into the manger! But when he hears the Christmas story being told and realizes that the statues are of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, he understands that the crèche is meant for them and returns everything to its rightful place. Then, suddenly, a Christmas miracle occurs and Mortimer discovers a new home, at last!

This book was published in 2005 but hopefully you can find a copy in a library - that's how I found this copy. Take a look at the Kirkus review.

After you have shared the nativity story with your family this Christmas try to find Mortimer's Christmas Manger. Reading this book will be made even more perfect if you also set up a nativity set in your home. My friend has a truly special one with knitted pieces and another friend has one with special European carved characters sitting in a small barn that she made herself.

Here are some other books by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman:

I previously talked about The Gift of Christmas. Here are some of her other Christmas books:

The Last Egg by Sofie Laguna illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

A mother bird is sitting on her nest. She has three eggs. The father bird is very attentive bringing her fresh worms to eat but then one morning; after hearing distant screeching in the night; the parents wake up to find a fourth egg in their next. The mother bird insists it's okay and that they have a responsibility to hatch this egg too. The problem is the first three eggs hatch on time, the baby chicks are just like the parents, and over time these three grow up and fly away. Meanwhile the fourth egg has not hatched. Should the birds abandon this egg? It is most certainly time they flew away to a warmer climate. In fact the snow is now falling and both are desperately cold.

The plot here will feel familiar, you might think of The Ugly Duckling with a twist - a dragon! The art in this new picture book is very appealing. And when you reach the end of the story, your young reading companion is sure to want to go back to the beginning to find that all important story hint (foreshadowing). 

You can find some teachers notes on the publisher page. 

Jess Racklyeft’s imaginative, evocative, playful illustrations with touches of whimsy, capture the different seasons and passing of time with varied colour palettes to reflect spring, winter and summer. She superbly brings to life the bonds between the characters and the emotions they feel. Jess imaginatively uses colour to create suspense, drama and intrigue.  This is a book for all library collections which offers endless opportunities for discussions about family, acceptance, compassions, the spirt of community and strength in diversity. Reading Opens Doors

The Last Egg is a beautiful story about family and caring, and the sacrifices we make to look after people who don’t look like us, but are still family in many other ways. It is also about community, and coming together to create a loving environment for children, helping people when they need it, and coming together when things get dire to ensure the vulnerable are not left behind. The Book Muse

Companion texts:

This one is very old - I hope you can find it - Fey Mouse by Hazel Edwards

Dragon love penguin

Just plain fancy

And for an art comparison try to find this one:

I talked about the illustrator Jess Racklyeft recently. She has donated this original bird illustration for our IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece art auction (14th - 28th November 2025).

Jess Racklyeft creates a variety of illustrated things - picture books, paintings, prints, pins and cards - mainly in watercolours. She works from her studio at the beautiful Abbotsford Convent and regularly has picnic lunches watching the neighbouring sheep and horses! Her art often combines collage - either on paper or digitally assembled - experimentation and lots of watercolour. Sometimes she writes the books as well. Jess worked in publishing sales for almost a decade before making the leap to full-time illustration and writing, and since then has won several illustration accolades including CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Iceberg (written by Claire Saxby).

Sofie Laguna is the author of many books including Too Loud Lilly; When You're Older; Our Australian Girl: The Grace stories; The Song of Lewis Carmichael; Stephen's Music; Bird and Sugar Boy; and an Aussie Bite title - The forever house. 

The Wonder Horse by Mark Greenwood

Even if you have heard of Phar Lap, the famous race winning horse, you are sure to discover even more when you read this book. Readers who love history and mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story and it is also one to share with horse lovers. I especially loved the descriptions when Phar Lap (also known as Bobby) was taken into a field to enjoy sweet grass and clover. I did find the descriptions of adding heavy weights to make racing harder for Phar Lap, who kept winning, very distressing. I guess I should disclose I am not a fan of horse racing but I was fascinated to read about this special horse/hero.

Discover the answers to these and many other questions in this book:

• Do you know how Phar Lap go this name?
• Where did Phar Lap run his final race?
• Did Phar Lap look like a champion when he was a young colt?
• Did this famous horse win every single race he ever entered?
• Is Phar Lap from Australia?
• What is the sweet treat his trainer always gave him?
• How many races did Phar Lap win?
• What happened on the day of the Melbourne Cup in 1930 before the race?
• Why did the owner and trainer need to protect Phar Lap?
• How do you feel about horse racing after reading this book? 

Here are some other books about Phar Lap that might be in your school library:

Last week I talked about another book from this splendid, thoroughly researched, series. These books are perfect for young curious readers in your library. They are easy to read with short chapters, big print, and page turning stories from history. Huge thanks to Freemantle Press for sending me copies of these two books from the History Hunter series. The Wonder Horse was published early in June 2025. Here are the teachers notes and these are well worth exploring because they contain extra web links and a vocabulary list. Read more details about The Wonder Horse in this blog post from The Bottom Shelf.

Who needs a time machine when you’ve got the History Hunter? He’s your fearless guide, taking you back through time to investigate mysteries that have puzzled the world for generations. From royal treasure rooms to racetracks, you’ll follow the clues, ask the tough questions and maybe even crack the case. These books are a history adventure double-pack that’s cooler than any video game! Better Reading

I previously talked about these horse racing picture books:

Subbie and his mate

Fabish the horse that braved a bushfire

The Epic Race

Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle illustrated by Rafael Lopez

On an island of music

in a city of drumbeats

the drum dream girl

dreamed

 

of pounding tall conga drums

tapping small bongó drums

and boom boom booming

with long, loud sticks

on big, round, silvery

moon-bright timbales.

 

But everyone

on the island of music

in the city of drumbeats

believed that only boys

should play drums

 

so the drum dream girl

had to keep dreaming

quiet

secret

drumbeat

dreams.

You can read the whole poem which is the text of this picture book biography here. 

A beautiful account of a young girl’s bravery and her important contribution toward gender equality in the creative arts. Kirkus Star review

Here is a video (very well done) of the whole book. You can see more books by Margarita Engle here. And more books by Rafael Lopez here. And here is some more information about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga.

Blurb from author web page: Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream. Released in March 2015, this story is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers.

I borrowed this book from a library because it is one of the titles on the Kirkus Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far). This book is still available but you will need to shop around - I have seen prices ranging from AUS$39 up to AUS$48. I would expect this book to be found in many public libraries. If you can find this book it would be a good one to share with a group of Grade 5 or 6 students or better yet pop it into the hands of your school music teacher especially if he/she is planning on doing some drumming or your school have invited drums for a performance. 

Some of the awards for Drum Dream Girl:

• Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the 21st Century So Far
• NYPL 125 Books We Love For Kids
• National Geographic Around the World in 20 Books for Kids
• This Picture Book Life's 20 Terrific and True Picture Books
• Charlotte Zolotow Award for best picture book written in 2015
• 2016 Pura Belpré Award for illustration (Rafael Lopez)
• ALA Notable Children's Book
• APALA Award Honor
• International Latino Book Award, Most Inspirational Children’s Picture Book
• Book Riot's List of 100 Must-Read Picture Books For Kids and Adults
• A Mighty Girl 25 Books to Inspire Your Mighty Girl in 2017
• We're the People 2016 Summer Reading List
• Finalist, California Book Awards
• 2016 Bank Street Best Books of the Year
• School Library Journal Top 10 Latino Books for 2015
• School Library Journal Best Books of 2015
• Kirkus Best Informational Picture Books of 2015
• Top 15 Mighty Girl Books of 2015
• 100 magnificent Children’s Books of 2015 – SLJ Fuse#8
• 10 Books That Empower Kids to Stand Up and Speak Brightly Readbrightly.com

The Wobbly Bike by Darren McCallum illustrated by Craig Smith

The trials of learning to ride a bike linger with me decades after my mum and dad gave me a brand new bike and then my dad spent so many evenings running alongside me, holding on of course, while I practiced on the empty road below our house. The other neighborhood kids all had secondhand bikes and even now some of them remember that mine was brand new. To me it felt that they all learned to ride by just jumping on their bike and setting off with no wobbles but for me it took months of patience by my dad. 

Like the little girl in this story I started with a tricycle and then moved up to a bigger bike and yes it did wobble and yes it did feel out of control but remember mine was new. The bike in this story is an old one from Grandad's shed. It needs cleaning and some repairs but really that wobble is not actually the fault of the bike - it is all just part of learning and persevering. 

Bookseller blurb: How do you fix a wobbly bike? Could it be the tyres, the terrain, or maybe it might be a new rider? A joyful, multi-layered story, celebrating the unique culture of Australia's urban "top end", the precious roles of grandparents in families, the fact that kindness and encouragement, combined with practice, are the key to success, bound together with gentle humour. because laughter is always the best medicine.

Notice all the quintessentially Australian inclusions in the illustrations - hills hoist; old roller lawn mower; the back shed and the house itself which looks like a "Queenslander". I also love the natural feel of the inclusion in this book - there are indigenous kids and a child in a wheelchair - all just kids in this neighborhood which I have discovered is in Darwin. 

Here are some brief teachers notes from Lamont. 

Darren is a tradesman and the author of The Wobbly Bike, he resides in Darwin with his wife and two daughters. The Wobbly bike was inspired by his daughter Summer who referred to her bike (after the training wheels were removed) as her wobbly bike. The book is a shout out to all children, especially the ones who struggle to never give up and keep trying your personal best and is also a nod to the precious roles of Grandparents.

Craig Smith  is one of Australia's most prolific, popular and award-winning illustrators of children's books. His witty and humorous artwork combines a wonderful sense of the absurd with a fine attention to detail. Craig has illustrated book covers, fiction series (including Too Cool written by Phil Kettle), and picture books Where's Mum? (Honour Book in the 1993 CBC Picture Book of the Year Awards), Billy the Punk (shortlisted in the 1996 CBC Picture Book of the Year Awards), and Bob the Builder and the Elves. Craig's previous Penguin titles include Paul Jennings' The Cabbage Patch series, Rachel Flynn's I Hate Fridays series, Gillian Rubinstein's The Pirates' Ship and The Fairy's Wings, Doug MacLeod's Sister Madge's Book of Nuns and numerous Aussie Bites and Nibbles. (Source Storybox Library) 

He also illustrated My Dog's a Scaredy Cat and one of his earliest books was Black Dog by Christobel Mattingley (later renamed First Friend). I read Bob the Builder and the Elves to hundreds of children in my former school library. Here is his web page and you can see him working here. 

You also need to linger over the end papers - morning on the opening pages and night at the back. And unlike so many other books I have read (mostly by celebrities) recently the rhyme used for the story in this book is perfect. 

This is such a joyous book with its humour, rhyme and illustrations making something very special from something very ordinary, evoking memories, connecting kids and generations, and reminding us that things that are worthwhile are worth striving for. The Bottom Shelf

This book is sure to be a CBCA Notable title for 2025 and it might even make the short list for Early Childhood. 

I love the work of Craig Smith and I think it is easy to connect this newest book with one of his masterpieces - Dreadful David.

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk by Annie Booth illustrated by David Litchfield

The title of this book sets up the plot. Yes, there is a boy. Yes, there is a box of chalk and you can see a boy drawing with the chalk on the front cover. Look closely and you will see the boy, who looks very calm, is sitting in front of a cave. But what of the Troll? Surely there is a danger here even though we cannot see this troll and yet the boy is sitting outside what might be the home of the troll. What do you know about trolls? Perhaps you have memory of that famous trickster tale of the Three Billy Goats. 

The blurb below contains a spoiler - but I am sure your class or young reading companion will be very surprised to discover the true identity of the 'troll'. The final pages of this book are such a celebration of community and happiness and coming together.

Bookseller blurb: Everybody knew that a big fierce troll lived in the cave. "Leave me alone!" it yelled. So everybody did. Only one child cannot turn their back on the troll at the edge of the playground. One day, he takes his chalks up to the mouth of the cave. He draws a flower with every petal coloured in but one, and leaves the chalk behind. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day-by-day, the boy and the troll finish each other's drawings, until they each draw a portrait, showing a boy holding hands with a fierce, scary troll. "But you're not a troll," says the boy. "You're a boy - just like me." Patience, kindness and the power of art win out in the end: the two boys wordlessly draw together. Soon all the other children gather to join in with the game. Everyone forgets that there was a troll inside the cave. Because outside the cave, there is so much to draw.

Companion book:

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk is sure to appear on the Empathy Lab book list in 2025. The previous book by Anne Booth and David Litchfield is A shelter for Sadness - it is way more didactic than this newer book. Here is the Kirkus review. 

It is not really connected with the themes of this book but you might need to explore famous books about trolls with your library group:

You can see other versions of this story on my post. 

If you work in a library (school or public) I think it is essential to build up your field knowledge of authors and illustrators. I have been quite shocked lately when I meet staff in libraries or in children's literature related occupations who had not heard famous names I mentioned. At Seven Stories in Newcastle-on-Tyne the three young education staff members had no knowledge of the UK illustrator Brian Wildsmith. Yesterday I was at a library meeting in my local area and one of the experienced Teacher-Librarians who is an organiser for this group had not heard of Ann James or our special illustration and event space Dromkeen (Victoria). I am hopeful that if I had mentioned specific books illustrated by Ann James such as Little Humpty; Penny Pollard; I'm a dirty dinosaur; Lucy Goosey; and It's a Miroocool. 

When I saw the name David Litchfield on the cover of this book, I knew the illustrations would be splendid! I knew this because I am familiar with other books he has illustrated - I have 'field knowledge'. This comes from 40 years of working as a Teacher-Librarian, book judge and blogger, but more importantly it comes from READING tons of children's books - picture books, junior novels, middle grade books and non-fiction.

 My strongest advice if you are new in any library setting is to take books home every week or even every day so you begin to know your collection and build up your personal knowledge of authors and illustrators from Australia and more importantly from around the world. I talked about Brian Wildsmith at the library meeting yesterday - I wonder how many of the twenty participants were familiar with his gorgeous work.

The Boy who Grew a Tree by Polly Ho-Yen illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy

A little girl and her grandfather visit the library each week. They read books together and then the little girl asks her Babu to tell her a true story. A story about the tree. Now we flash back in time and meet a little boy named Timi. Timi's mum is having a new baby and so Timi is sent to after school care and then later to stay with an aunt and her family. Timi is a quiet boy who loves nature and the wonder of growing plants. He has a collection of plants on his windowsill - all grown from seeds. 

He is unsure how to interact with the group of children at the after-school centre but he does follow them to the old library building. One of the boys knows the code to get into the building which is due for demolition. They open the door and Timi, even though he is very frightened, elects to go inside first. At that moment some adults arrive, the kids all run away, and the door slams shut. I held my breath. Inside Timi discovers a very small plant pushing up through the floorboards. Timi knows all about plants - they need water and sunlight. Luckily there is a tap in the building and a small container. He is able to pull back the old curtains to let in the sunshine. He is not locked into the library but when he sees the kids the next day, he decides this discovery needs to be his secret. Whenever he can he heads back to the library to see the little plant only it is no longer little. Each day it grows bigger and bigger at a very surprising rate.

"He heard it almost as soon as he opened the door, as a breeze swept down the corridor and rustled the leaves. It was now no longer a seedling, no longer a plant, it was a tree."

Meanwhile his sister is born but now mum is even more distracted, and the baby is not very well and so Timi is sent away to another relative. It becomes harder to visit his tree but somehow, he is able to get there. Then one day the other kids discover his secret. 

Have you guessed the connection between this tree and the library where the story began? The cover might help you. 

This little book perfectly demonstrates the power of a story to touch your heart and it only has 117 illustrated pages. I am sure any reader aged 8+ will enjoy this story and the themes of perseverance, teamwork, and community. 

I am just so pleased to read a short novel of this quality and thoughtfulness aimed at the younger junior age-range. It's such a beautiful thing to see a writer and illustrator coming together to create a gift like this, treating their young readers with a respect and intelligence they very much deserve.  A Few to Read Blog

Knights Of are a publisher who never disappoint, and it is very especially satisfying to read something from them which is aimed at a younger readership. This is exactly the kind of high-quality book that should be on offer to children in the infant years. More please! Just Imagine

The Boy who Grew a Tree is a 2023 Empathy Lab title. In this three minute video Polly Ho-Yen reads an extract from her book. 

The publisher of this book is Knights of Media. Here is their set of junior novels:

The Great Stink by Colleen Paeff illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

I have decided I am not very good at asking questions. I need to be way more curious. I have been to London several times but it never occurred to me to ask about or research the word embankment. More about that in a moment.

This book begins in 1500. In London at this time sewers carry rainwater to rivers so the city won't flood. Poop or poo and pee go into deep holes called cesspools. When these become full it is time to hire nightsoil men who sell the poo (poop) to farmers as a fertilizer. Jump forward to 1819 and people are installing flush toilets. Some people connect their toilets directly to the sewer and so pee and poo now end up in the river!

The first epidemic of cholera hits London in 1832 and 6,563 people die. Problem is no one makes the connection between this catastrophe and the sewerage going into the river. The government believe the cause is in the air in pockets called miasmas. Oh no - now they order people to send their waste straight into the Thames. AND people are drinking this water too. Another cholera outbreak and 14,137 people are dead. 

Meanwhile a young man called Joseph Bazalgette takes on the job of mapping the sewers of London.

"The sewers are a disorganized, haphazard, higgledy-piggledy mess."

Finally, the authorities call for help - they need a civil engineer. Joseph is the chief engineer. He designs a system of gigantic sewer pipes which will move the sewerage out to the ocean. The debate continues into 1856. This scheme will be very expensive - too expensive. By 1858 the city is almost unlivable. The hot sun of summer adds to the stench - it is now the Great Stink! Finally, the parliament give approval for the building of the huge pipes.

"It is almost impossible for Joseph to find open space where he can build new sewer pipes without causing roadblocks, traffic and major headaches for Londoners. So in some areas he creates man-made riverbanks called embankments."

The final pages of this splendid book talk about the situation in our world today with the disposal of sewerage and also list alternate schemes. There is also a detailed timeline, further reading list and bibliography. 

Read a very detailed interview with Seven Impossible Things featuring Colleen Paeff and Nancy Carpenter. Colleen Paeff has other links on her web page. Here is a set of detailed teachers notes with science experiments. In this blog post Mr Schu talks to Colleen Paeff. 

This informative exploration of London’s sanitation history will delight nonfiction fans interested in history, ecology, biography, and more. Kirkus Star review

Back to embankments. You can read more here and here The story of London's embankment. 

As a part of their science or geography topic our Grade four students used to investigate waste disposal systems. I am not sure if this is still the case but I used to read quite a few books (some were very funny) about poo.

Here are a couple of videos you could use with a primary class:

Where does the water go? - Sewerage treatment Melbourne

How Do Sewer Systems Work?

A brief history of toilets TED (High School level)

Awards for The Great Stink:

• 2022 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, Association for Library Services to Children
• 2022 Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Young Readers, SCBWI
• 2022 Cook Prize Honor Book, Bank Street College of Education
• 2022 Notable Book, American Library Association
• 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, Children’s Book Council
• 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Gem, Texas Library Association
• 2022 Best STEM Books K-12, National Science Teaching Association
• 2021 Best Informational Books for Younger Readers, Chicago Public Library
• Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall

"I'm making a flying machine today! Jabari told his dad."

Little sister Nika would love to help but Jabari says NO - this is HIS machine and he will make it fly - right across the garden. 

Then his dad says:

"You know, I bet Nika would love to help out ... what if you thought of her more like a partner?"

Nika joins in and helps but the plane just won't work. When the plane crashes yet again dad says:

"It looks like a frustrating problem ... When I'm frustrated I gather up all my patience and take a deep breath, and blow away all the mixed feelings inside ... And then I try again."

This is the second book about Jabari. I am not a fan of books with "messages" but I love the message in this book and the way it is conveyed. Themes of cooperation; problem solving; perseverance; sibling relationships; listening to wisdom; and accepting help from others.

This generously sized picture book offers a lovely picture of mentorship and healthy relationships in the context of a thriving Black family with dark skin tones. Jabari’s emotional ups and downs will be familiar to young children, and his hard-won success feels triumphant. Kirkus Star review

With older students you could also use this book to research the inventors that Jabari admires - Lewis Howard Latimer (electricity); Dr Flossie Wong-Staal (HIV AIDS); Roy Allela (Sign language gloves); and Dr Shirley Ann Jackson (Physics). Actually I think these choices reflect more about the author and not Jabari who is perhaps a little too young to know about these four inventors. 

Here is the previous book about Jabari:

Publisher blurb: Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.

Here is an interview where Gaia talks about Jabari Jumps.