David Jumps In

Written by Alan Woo

Illustrated by Katty Maurey

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-845-0

24 pp.

Ages 4-7

March 2020 

Sometimes a leap of faith is necessary to pursue that which is uncomfortable or seemingly impossible. With a string of elastic bands and that leap of faith, David jumps in to a new school and makes new friends with whom to play in this new picture book from Maggie's Chopsticks author Alan Woo. 

 

From David Jumps In by Alan Woo, illus. by Katty Maurey

Many children know the discomfort of starting at a new school or joining an activity in which friendships have already been established. David, the little boy in the red T-shirt with his mom in the blue skirt in the bottom right of the above illustration, undoubtedly feels small and insignificant. He knows no one at this school.  When recess comes, everyone gravitates to their favourite activities, whether in groups, or pairs, or by themselves. He tries to approach a couple of kids playing video-games or reading books, but they are in their own worlds and don't even hear him.

From David Jumps In by Alan Woo, illus. by Katty Maurey

Though David is starting to get nervous that maybe no one would play with him, he finds some classmates playing hopscotch, a game like elastic skip which requires balance, jumping and chanting, so,with blushing cheeks, he approaches them. 

"Hey," he said shyly. "I'm David.

Do you want to play elastic skip?"

They ask how the game goes and he demonstrates. And with that a new world of play is created.

From David Jumps In by Alan Woo, illus. by Katty Maurey

I'm so pleased to know that kids still play this game though when I was growing up it was called jumpsies. Still it's a great game that requires a minimum of equipment that can be stored in a pocket and played just about anywhere you have three kids (although we sometimes used chair legs if we were alone). Play will always bring children together and I applaud David and author Alan Woo for reminding everyone that making new friends, or at least playmates, may just require taking that first step in asking. Of course that first step may be the hardest, as it seemed to be for David, but the payoff–connecting and having fun with his peers–makes it all worthwhile.

Montreal illustrator Katty Maurey recreates the isolation that David feels at his new school, by making him just one more small child in a sea of children. She may make them all unique in their skin, hair, clothes, abilities and interests, ensuring a diversity that reflects all children, but they are many and David is just one. He doesn't want to stand out, as many children are loathe to do; he just wants to fit in and have play fun. With the very colourful but subtle illustrations, digitally rendered, Katty Maurey brings Alan Woo's David from the outskirts of his new life to a foothold for a game he loves and for his classmates.

From David Jumps In by Alan Woo, illus. by Katty Maurey