Trampoline Boy

by Nan Forler, Marion Arbona (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical picture book about the joy of jumping — and a springboard for discussion about unique perspectives.

Through the eyes of a character we only know as Trampoline Boy, we are invited to understand how he sees the world. His favorite thing to do is jump up and down, up and down on his trampoline. Kids walk by and tease him, but he remains steadfast and calm. One day, a quietly exuberant girl, Peaches, is fascinated by his jumping. Trampoline Boy wordlessly invites her to jump with him, and by spending this time with him, Peaches and readers get to see how important and valuable different perspectives are.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770498303
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,037,285
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

NAN FORLER is a writer and a teacher who lives in a house overflowing with music and books. She likes to write stories at an old wooden table in her kitchen, and some of those stories are made into books, such as Winterberries and Apple Blossoms and Bird Child. Nan shares her home with her husband, her two children and a yorkie-poo named Alice.

After obtaining a diploma in animation film at Les Arts Décoratifs de Paris, MARION ARBONA started working as an illustrator for children's books. In addition to drawing, she is particularly interested in deep sea fishes, cats (even though she is allergic) and weird plants. She also likes reading and watching movies. Her favorite gouache color is light cadmium red. Marion has been awarded numerous illustration prizes in the USA and Canada, where she lived for 10 years. She has illustrated over thirty books for children. Her last picture book, The Good Little Book, garnered wide critical acclaim and was selected as a finalist for the Governor General's award in 2015. She lives in Paris, France.

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2018
Seen in an introductory close-up, Trampoline Boy’s bangs are so long that they flop over the child’s eyes. He loves jumping on his backyard trampoline, and the book’s trim size—tall and narrow—emphasizes the verticality of his quiet, solitary pursuit. His gravity-defying bounces take him into the realm of red-winged blackbirds, fluffy clouds, and airplanes. The neighborhood kids jeer, but Trampoline Boy bounces on. Peaches, another neighbor, waits patiently for him to notice her. When he doesn’t, she speaks: “I wish I could see what you see up there in that blue, blue sky.” They jump together up into a place beyond the real, which Arbona (The Good Little Book) portrays with a riot of forms and colors: kite tails, rainbows, feathers—a place “where the world was clear and true.” Sometimes, Forler’s story suggests, it’s enough if just one other person recognizes the gift someone has to offer. Whether it leads to a place of fantasy or just a sense of physical release, kids who have experienced the liberating joy of jumping will understand Trampoline Boy’s obsession. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Whether it leads to a place of fantasy or just a sense of physical release, kids who have experienced the liberating joy of jumping will understand trampoline boy's obsession" —Publisher's Weekly

"Children may jump at the chance to pore over this unusual and inviting story." —Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

2018-02-03
As one might guess from the book's title, an otherwise unnamed boy with bangs that cover his eyes is obsessed with bouncing on his trampoline.He bounces from morning to night, reaching magical heights, from which he is able to see red-winged blackbirds flying past, "airplanes drawing curly-cues," and "wispy white clouds." His obsession draws unwelcome attention from passing schoolchildren, who mock his constant bouncing. "Can't you do anything else?" they taunt. "He is so weird" The boy's lack of social connection suggests he may be on the spectrum. Only one child is drawn into his bouncy, magical world, an extremely shy and hesitant little girl named Peaches. She watches him for a long time before he notices her. Finally he realizes that Peaches is not mocking and really wants to know "what you see / up there in that blue, blue sky." They stare into each other's eyes and, holding hands, they bounce up and up and up. An unusual tall format, ideal for the vertical subject matter, and Arbona's bright, quirky postmodern illustrations make this an attractive production. Both children have pale skin; Peaches' eyes are open wide, while Trampoline Boy's appear permanently closed when they aren't obscured by his bangs, which heightens his emotional distance. While the connection between outsiders is warming, it is oblique, as wispy as the clouds they bounce through. Safety-conscious adults will suck their teeth at the trampoline, which does not have even a net around it.Doesn't get off the ground. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews