Marshmallow and Jordan by Alina Chau

Summary from Goodreads:

Jordan’s days as star player for her school’s basketball team ended when an accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. Now, she’s still the team captain, but her competition days seem to be behind her…until an encounter with a mysterious elephant, who she names Marshmallow, helps Jordan discover a brand new sport.

Will water polo be the way for Jordan to continue her athletic dreams–or will it just come between Jordan and her best friends on the basketball team? And with the big tournament right around the corner, what secret is Marshmallow hiding?

Review:

This book is so sweet. The artwork is what drew me into it. A smiling girl, holding an ice cream, being hugged by a white elephant? Sign me up! The setting is in Indonesia, which looks stunning. I love seeing different places in kids books, particularly graphic novels, where you really do get to see them. Everything is bright, colorful, and cheerful looking.

I also initially didn’t even realize the girl was in a wheel chair (on the cover). But, knowing the girl is still the captain of her basketball team after going through an accident that left her without use of her legs, makes you just love her all the more for her strength. You can’t help but cheer for her through everything she does. This is a story about friendship and strength. Jordan (named for Michael Jordan) finds Marshmallow right when she needs to. And Marshmallow helps Jordan find a sport she can still play: water polo!

The only part of the book I found a little hard to follow were the water polo match scenes. I don’t really know anything about the sport, and I’m not much of a sports person in general (so it could be that), but I got a bit lost in what was going on, and how the game was played. I almost wish the game was explained more? But maybe most people reading will know that?

I have to admit I had a few tears in my eyes during the friendship stuff. What happened between Jordan and her friends felt so believable and true to what might happen in real life. Friendships at  that age can be made and broken over the smallest things. I also loved the folktale elements to the story, and how everything connected: the family story, the friendship story, and the elephant story.

This was a beautiful graphic novel. The story was sweet and heart-warming. But, what makes it a standout is the artwork. You won’t be able to stop looking at it. I give it a 9/10.