Bibbit Jumps

by Bei Lynn
Age Range: 6-8

Bibbit Jumps is a delightful chapter book of short stories by Taiwanese author and illustrator Bei Lynn, translated from Chinese by Helen Wang.

Bibbit is a very energetic little frog and he loves to jump although he’s not always very brave. The first eight chapters are almost self-contained stories which vary in length as they follow Bibbit, his sister Little Frog and their other animal friends as they enjoy picnics, birthday parties and swimming lessons. The final chapter ‘An Adventure’ is much longer taking up a third of the book and sees Bibbit in a more philosophical mood as he talks to his sister and a little green bird – “How Much Do You Dream About Something for it to be Called a Dream?” Bibbit wonders. When the little green bird tells him that she once flew for a whole week to a mountain but because it was so far, she’d had to stop off at several cities on the way, Bibbit asks “Are cites fun?” Then Bibbit sets off on his biggest adventure of all to the city.

These charming stories with their lovely playful watercolour illustrations convey the importance of sibling relationships, friendships and how determination and perseverance help when facing up to fear and uncertainty.