DING DONG (Auditory Imagery)
On Jordan's first day at Riverdale Academy Day School, he speaks with his parents in their living room until the doorbell rings. Craft illustrates the loud disruption by drawing DING DONG in capital letters that spring up over Jordan's head. In this example of auditory imagery, Craft immerses the reader in Jordan's experience by representing the doorbell sound he hears.
Hallelujah Banner (Visual Imagery)
Worried about a lack of diversity at his new school, Jordan's first impression upon walking into RAD is that nearly everyone in the school is white or Asian. However, a huge smile crosses his face when he sees Maury, another Black student, happily moving down the hall. To emphasize Jordan's relief, Craft draws two cherubs holding a banner that reads "Hallelujah" over Maury's head. In this example of visual imagery, Craft suggests Jordan's internal feeling of joy and gratitude with a heavenly banner that contrasts with the mundane hallway behind it.
Maury-O (Visual Imagery)
Soon after spotting Maury, Jordan watches as sophomores tease Maury about his orange vest and call him "Maury-O." Liam explains they do it because the name rhymes with Oreo, but Liam doesn’t understand the meaning. Jordan understands perfectly, however. Rather than have Jordan explain the meaning to Jordan, Craft illustrates a portrait of Maury in which his head has transformed into a giant Oreo cookie; arrows point to the outer cookies and icing filling, explaining that an Oreo is white on the inside and black on the outside. With this visual image, Craft illustrates a common insult used against Black people who are accused of acting like they are white.
Miniature Jordan (Visual Imagery)
While in class during his first week at RAD, Jordan feels lost and uncomfortable. To illustrate his emotional state, Craft draws Jordan as a shrunken-down version of himself. The surrounding students are regular-size and sit in regular-size chairs that look massive compared to Jordan's puny body. In this example of visual imagery, Craft represents Jordan's feelings of insignificance by depicting him in miniature.
