Hello there! Today, we’re going to enjoy a fun story called “Jabari Jumps,” written and illustrated by Gaia Cornwall. Let’s dive into Jabari’s exciting adventure!
Jabari was feeling brave. “I’m jumping off the diving board today,” he told his dad. The diving board was high up, and it looked a little scary. But Jabari had finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test. He was ready to jump! “I’m a great jumper,” Jabari said. “I’m not scared at all.”
Jabari watched other kids climb the long ladder. They looked like tiny bugs from far away! They walked to the end of the board, spread their arms, bent their knees, and jumped! Up, up, up they went, and then down, down, down. Splash!
“That looks easy,” Jabari said. But when his dad squeezed his hand, Jabari squeezed back. He stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up. “You can go before me if you want,” he told the kid behind him. “I need to think about what kind of special jump I’m going to do.”
Jabari thought and thought. Then he started to climb. Up and up he went. “This ladder is very tall,” he thought. “Are you okay?” his dad called. “I’m just a little tired,” Jabari said. “Maybe you should climb down and take a tiny rest,” his dad suggested. A tiny rest sounded like a good idea. When he got to the bottom, Jabari remembered something. “I forgot to do my stretches!” he said. “Stretching is very important,” his dad agreed.
“I think tomorrow might be a better day for jumping,” Jabari said. They looked up at the diving board together. “It’s okay to feel a little scared,” his dad said. “Sometimes, if I feel a little scared, I take a deep breath and tell myself I am ready.” “And you know what? Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels… a little like a surprise.” Jabari loved surprises.
Jabari took a deep breath and felt it fill his body from the ends of his hair to the tips of his toes. He looked up and began to climb. Up and up. And up and up. Until he got to the top. Jabari stood up straight and walked all the way to the end of the board. His toes curled around the rough edge. He looked out as far as he could see and felt ready. “I love surprises,” he whispered.
He took a deep breath, spread his arms, bent his knees, and sprang up! Up off the board! Flying! Jabari hit the water with a SPLASH! Down, down, down he went. And then back up! Whoosh! “Jabari! You did it!” his dad cheered. “I did it!” Jabari exclaimed. “I’m a great jumper!”
“And you know what?” Jabari asked. “What?” his dad replied. “Surprise double backflip is next!” Jabari said with excitement.
This story reminds us that it’s okay to feel a little scared sometimes. Just like Jabari, we can take a deep breath and tell ourselves we are ready. Taking a big leap can be hard, but once you feel like you’ve got it… guess what? You’ve got it! So go on, take that big leap!
Thank you for joining us for storytime! Make sure you check out more stories and keep reading. There’s always something new to discover!
Jumping Practice: Create a safe jumping area at home or in the playground. Use a soft mat or grass as the landing spot. Encourage the children to practice jumping from a small step or platform. Ask them to describe how they feel before and after the jump. Discuss how Jabari felt before his big jump and compare it to their own feelings. This activity helps children understand emotions and build confidence, just like Jabari.
Deep Breathing Exercise: Teach the children a simple deep breathing exercise to help them feel calm and ready, just like Jabari did. Have them sit comfortably, close their eyes, and take a deep breath in through their nose, filling their lungs. Then, slowly breathe out through their mouth. Repeat this a few times. Ask them how they feel after the exercise and discuss how deep breathing can help when they feel scared or nervous.
Draw Your Brave Moment: Provide paper and crayons or markers for the children to draw a picture of a time when they felt brave. It could be trying something new, like riding a bike or speaking in front of the class. Encourage them to share their drawings with the group and talk about how they overcame their fears, just like Jabari. This activity helps children reflect on their own experiences and recognize their bravery.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music] Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. I’m Sheryl Lee Ralph, and today I’m going to read “Jabari Jumps,” written and illustrated by Gaia Cornwall.
“I’m jumping off the diving board today,” Jabari told his dad. “Really?” said his dad. The diving board was high and maybe a little scary, but Jabari had finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and now he was ready to jump. “I’m a great jumper,” said Jabari, “so I’m not scared at all.”
Jabari watched the other kids climb the long ladder. They walked all the way out to the end of the board, as small as tiny bugs. Then they stood on the edge, spread their arms, bent their knees, and sprang up! Up! Up! And then they dove down, down, down. Splash!
“Looks easy,” Jabari said. But when his dad squeezed his hand, Jabari squeezed back. Jabari stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up. “You can go before me if you want,” he told the kid behind him. “I need to think about what kind of special jump I’m going to do.”
Jabari thought and thought. He started to climb. Up and up. This ladder is very tall, he thought. “Are you okay?” called his dad. “I’m just a little tired,” said Jabari. “Maybe you should climb down and take a tiny rest,” said his dad. A tiny rest sounded like a good idea. When he got to the bottom, Jabari remembered something. “I forgot to do my stretches!” he said to his dad. “Stretching is very important,” said his dad.
“I think tomorrow might be a better day for jumping,” Jabari said. They looked up at the diving board together. “It’s okay to feel a little scared,” said his dad. “Sometimes, if I feel a little scared, I take a deep breath and tell myself I am ready.” “And you know what? Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels… a little like a surprise.” Jabari loved surprises.
Jabari took a deep breath and felt it fill his body from the ends of his hair right down to the tips of his toes. He looked up and began to climb. Up and up. And up and up. Until he got to the top. Jabari stood up straight and walked all the way to the end of the board. His toes curled around the rough edge. He looked out as far as he could see and felt ready. “I love surprises,” he whispered.
He took a deep breath, spread his arms, bent his knees, and sprang up! Up off the board! Flying! Jabari hit the water with a SPLASH! Down, down, down, he went. And then back up! Whoosh! “Jabari! You did it!” said his dad. “I did it!” said Jabari. “I’m a great jumper!” “And you know what?” “What?” said his dad. “Surprise double backflip is next!” The end.
What I like about this book is that when I was little, I went away to Girl Scout Camp, and that’s where I learned how to swim. I was afraid to dive. Like Jabari, I was a little frightened of taking the jump into the deep end. But just like Jabari learned to face the fear, take a deep breath, exhale, and feel it fill you up, knowing that you can do it. I like that. Taking a big leap can be hard, but once you feel like you’ve got it… guess what? You’ve got it. Go on, take that big leap.
[Music] Thank you for watching Storyline Online. Make sure you check out all of our stories. Keep watching and keep reading. [Music]
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