Children's book author and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Alina Chau tells the gentle, endearing story of a paralyzed middle-school basketball player who falls in love with a new sport after she finds an elephant.
Jordan, named after basketball legend Michael Jordan, used to play on the Kahawaii Multicultural School's basketball team. After an accident paralyzes her, she becomes the team captain. On her way home from practice, Jordan notices an injured white baby elephant. She takes him home to her veterinarian mother who allows him to stay while he heals; Jordan names him Marshmallow because he is "white and fluffy." As Marshmallow becomes a part of Jordan's everyday life, he notices how much she misses playing basketball and being a part of the team. When a pool mysteriously appears in Jordan's backyard, Marshmallow helps Jordan rediscover swimming. Her renewed interest leads to her learning how to play a new sport--water polo--as a paraplegic.
Chau (Lunar New Year), who is of Chinese-Indonesian heritage, uses watercolor and digital illustrations to render the beautifully lush landscape of Jordan's Indonesian town, culture and way of life. The graphic novel is broken up into chapters through illustrative vignettes that give readers a peek at what comes next in the story. Chau propels the novel forward by strategically interchanging clean, well-spaced panels, tons of white space and double-page spreads. As Jordan works to break her notions about her own capabilities, Chau's speech bubbles push through borders and across panels. Themes of hope and friendship fill this graphic novel with empathy and joy. --Kharissa Kenner, children's librarian, Bank Street School for Children