Trust: Reliance on the integrity, strength, and ability of someone or something. Or the confident expectation of someone or something. 

— Merriam Webster Dictionary

Some people think The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste book is about killing monsters, but it’s really about trusting your friends and people you care about because they can really help you.

In The Jumbies the protagonist Corinne has to trust her friends because so many times in the book Corinne would not have done well without friends. For example when Corinne needs to get to Severine and her dad she has Bouki and Malik be distractions.

The two brothers and friends were good to have around, because they helped Corinne when she was in trouble. “A sharp rock sliced her leg open and Corinne screamed as pain shot through her. Bouki scrambled over to Corinne and put a dirt-and Pomerania-stained hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. When she stopped he helped her down the hill.” This excerpt shows how Bouki helped Corinne stay quiet when she was in pain. If Bouki didn’t do that the White Witch would have seen Corinne and then done who knows what. Stuff like this when Corrine was in trouble happens other times in the book. That symbolizes that Bouki and Malik really care about Corinne and are always trying to keep her safe

Corinne thought that she wouldn’t need friends, but her friends helped her in many different ways. It was the croaking that had gotten it into the well in the first place. If it had just been quiet the boys would not have found it and dropped it into a full well. This shows how Corinne thinks that she won’t need to be friends with the boys because she thinks they are not smart or won’t be helpful. But later on in the book she sees how helpful, brave and kind they can be.

Corrine should be really glad to have friends to help her in moments like this. The witch looked around trying to pinpoint where it had come from. Bouki dropped to the ground. “You’d better hide,” he whispered. At that point if Bouki hadn’t said that Corrine would be dead. That shows that her friends are kind, helpful people.

It is important to have friends and family that care about you because they can support you when you need help. All of Corinne’s friends and family help her when she needs help and support. Sometimes people take friends for granted but, when you think about it, they are so, so helpful.