Jump for Joy By Karen Gray Ruelle; Illustrated by Hadley Hooper

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ISBN: 9781662602023

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Published by (2024-01-23)

Kid seeks dog. Dog seeks kid. In this charming and imaginative tale of friendship, picture book readers will delight in what it means to have a furry best friend.

For as long as she can remember, Joy has wanted a dog. It doesn’t matter what kind: big, little, spotted, curly. She wants one so fiercely, she makes dogs out of snow, seashells, or whatever’s at hand! However, none of the dogs Joy makes are quite what she yearns for. The seashell dog washes away, and the snow dog melts into a puddle. Little does Joy know that her perfect dog friend is just around the corner—wishing just as fiercely for a kid—and waiting to be discovered.

Award-winning artist Hadley Hooper creates a world that is both timeless and magical as she weaves ink, paint, and collages made from vintage etchings together in a style that perfectly complements the classic feel of Jump for Joy. Readers will rejoice in this satisfying kid-meets-dog story, and will savor returning to this world again and again.

Book Details

Format: Hardcover
Price: 24.99 CAD / 18.99 USD
Published: 2024-01-23
ISBN: 9781662602023
Page Count: 32
Trim Size: 8-1/2 x 11
Grades:
Ages:

★ "The parallel yearnings of two strangers—a girl and a dog—carry readers through Jump for Joy, beautifully conceived...and awe-strikingly illustrated...From the get-go, readers will know where Jump for Joy is headed—and that's the point: as with any love story (and that's what this book is), the pleasure resides in the thrill of the chase. Here, the thrill also resides in Hooper's outdoors-set collages, which incorporate found imagery dating as far back as the 18th century." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ "The book utilizes white space and stark black-and-white illustrations to evoke Jump and Joy’s loneliness; the characters are in a different illustration style, further emphasizing their isolation. Only when the pair find each other do their worlds fill with color." —Foreword Reviews, starred review

"Ruelle packs in an impressive amount of clever wordplay in a relatively spare text. The repetitive rhythm of both Joy and Jump doing similar actions is reassuring, while Hooper’s brilliant, mostly black-and-white collaged world highlights the sepia-toned friends as they navigate their way toward each other. Of course, when they finally cross paths, the world blooms into color. A wistful meditation on patience and discovery." —Kirkus Reviews

"Tightly structured storytelling by Ruelle (Peter’s War) and crisp, editorial-style artwork by Hooper (The Elephants Come Home) frame this story about Joy, a girl, and Jump, a dog...The two are portrayed with antic energy in sepia, while their surroundings are rendered in b&w collages composed of antique etchings and illustrations. The story’s energy is focused on the search, with rich visual interest created by busy patterns and images." —Publishers Weekly

"Ruelle’s simple story uses repetition and alliteration to good effect. Hooper colors the child and dog in soft, warm browns using brush and ink. The delicate background collages are primarily black and white until the characters meet, and then everything transforms into color. A sweetly told friendship story set against the changing seasons." —The Horn Book

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