SWINGING FOR JOY

A lonely girl and her magical canine help an unhappy boy in this debut picture book.

London and her dog, Joy, love to hop on a playground’s swings. London tells Joy everything—including a secret wish. When the two hear a boy crying, they rush to help and discover that he lost a hat. Luckily, Joy is a wish-granting pooch. When the boy whispers his wish in Joy’s ear, she takes off for the hat with confidence even though she’s blind: “London and the boy were trailing, but not very far behind. / They were excited and filled with hope of what Joy’s sightless search would find.” Soon, the item—an original Tuskegee Airmen hat worn by the boy’s great-grandfather—is discovered, and both wishes are granted. London’s wish was to make a new friend. The digital illustrations from Whimsical Designs by CJ offer a vibrant feel to the enjoyable series opener, featuring a diverse playground with people of several ages, skin tones, and abilities. London’s Afro puffs, curly and tinted purple, and her hoop earrings with the word Love inside capture the Black girl’s big personality and gregariousness. Hight’s text stretches over two-page spreads, sometimes making the rhymes hard to recognize in the long phrases. But once the rhythm is found, the scansion flows well throughout despite verb tense shifts that readers may find jarring. The nod to the Tuskegee Airmen may encourage kids to seek more information about this important part of American history.

A fun tale about finding a friend through kindness.