Joy (a kid) loves dogs and has always wanted one, and Jump (a dog) loves kids and has always wanted one. Neither of them is picky about the details. The dog (or kid) could be big or little, spotted or curly. Each season, Joy and Jump put their artistic skills to good use, making dogs (in Joy’s case) and kids (in Jump’s case) out of various materials. In the spring, Joy uses flowers, and Jump uses ferns. But in both cases, their sculptures “wilted and fell to the ground.” In the summer, Joy makes a seashell dog named Shelby, and Jump makes a sand kid named Sandy. “But the waves washed [them] away, bit by bit.” In the fall, the wind dismantles Joy’s stick dog (Bark) and Jump’s mud kid (Patty), and in the winter, the sun melts Joy’s and Jump’s snow friends. The next spring, when flowers and ferns sprout again, both Joy and Jump exclaim in delight, believing their plant companions have returned. Instead, their shouts alert them, for the first time, to each other’s presence. “And Joy jumped for joy and Jump jumped for Joy. / And neither of them wilted or melted or scattered or splattered or washed away.” Expressive brush-and-ink characters against distinctive black-and-white collage backgrounds give way to a riot of color once Jump and Joy meet in a charming book full of wordplay and child appeal.

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.

Featured in New York Times' "Valentine’s Day Children’s Books That Won’t Make You Cringe"