David Jumps In

In this gentle story of friendship and courage, David arrives for his first day at a brand new school. He is quite alone as he does not have any friends just yet, but what he does have tucked in his pocket is a bundle of elastics strung together ready for a game of elastic skip. Feeling a little shy, he wonders if anyone will play with him. Once the recess bell rings, he cautiously observes all of the children playing in the school yard. Some children rush to reserve a spot on the play structure activities, others play school yard favorites such as red-rover and hide and seek, while others enjoy a good story book.

When David notices some children seemingly tired of their game of hopscotch, he bravely asks if they would like to join him in a game of elastic skip. Breaking down barriers of shyness, David explains the game to his classmates, and they play. On his second day at his brand new school, David and his new friends rush out at recess time to enjoy each other’s company and to play together.

So many children suffer feelings of loneliness and awkwardness when introduced to a new situation. David Jumps In is positive reading for these kids as the example of how David’s bringing an activity to share with new friends is a lovely idea for introducing himself to new friendships. The subtle text encourages children to be comfortable with who they are and to take the forward step of connecting with others.

Katty Maurey’s illustrations, which use pastel colours layered onto a vast background of white space, subtly amplify David’s isolation. David is sometimes difficult to locate in the playground as he is too shy to approach. As his confidence grows, he appears as equal in size to all of the other children in the playground.

At the end of David Jumps In, author Alan Woo adds a note about the game of elastic skip and its history that is rooted in ancient Chinese culture.