1, 2, 3, Jump!

This is the first book my kindergartner has wanted at bedtime for six nights in a row. We’ve been talking to her about swimming lessons for awhile, but she is hesitant and fearful. I bought her this book because it sounded like a fun way to further explore the idea. The first night I read it, she looked at me after the last page with an “I see what you’re doing here, Mommy,” expression. But then she wanted me to read it again the next night. And the next. And the next.... Now she’s joining in as I read. She loves the playful humor and seems reassured by it, too. The fears that might seem silly to adults are big for little kids, and this story sweetly acknowledges and simultaneously quells those fears. The illustrations match the tone of the story perfectly, inspiring discussions like, “How do you think the little girl is feeling? Is she scared? Uncertain? What about the other kids?” On the page spread that explains there are no shark-a-gators in the deep end, my daughter pointed to one of the creatures and said, “She’s imagining,” so it was perfectly clear to her which images were “real” and which were in the fearful would-be swimmer’s imagination. This is the kind of book that is a pleasure to read to/with a child, even after several repetitions. Fun, but with a message of encouragement, too.

I'm a fan of second person voice (direct address) and this displays finesse and mastery of the voice. It handles a common and legitimate fear with gentle humor while remaining supportive and forward-moving. The illustrations play a critical role in building and resolving the story. In fact, this is the kind of picture book text that feels like it REQUIRES the author to also be the illustrator, or would involve pages of art notes.I tried typing out the text only and realized that it does NOT require notes, since the voice is so perfectly tuned to the would-be swimmer (reader) in such a way as to invite the illustrator to join in the fun- and that happened with zeal!

Using humor and matter-of-fact instruction to address all the concerns of a reluctant swimmer with an extremely active imagination, this book is a winner!