Jump for Joy by: Karen Gray Ruelle and Illustrated by Hadley Hooper

Jump for Joy is an imaginative and heartwarming picture book that celebrates friendship, patience, and the joy of finding your perfect companion. The story follows a girl named Joy who has always wanted a dog — big, little, spotted, curly… it doesn’t matter what kind, she simply wants one. While she tries to fashion dogs from seashells, snow, sticks, and sand, none turn out quite right. Unbeknownst to her, elsewhere a dog named Jump longs just as fiercely for a kid of his own. Like Joy, Jump builds makeshift kids out of natural materials, but his creations don’t last either. Through the changing seasons, the parallel quests unfold until, at last, Joy and Jump find each other — and both jump for joy. The expressive illustrations combine traditional art, ink, and vintage collage elements that bring the world to life, making it a joyful read for young children discovering what it means to find a true friend.