Review by Booklist Review
This beginning chapter book features spunky first-grader Jo Jo, who lives with her mom, grandmother, and cat, Mimi, on a fictional Ojibwe reservation. Her concerns are mostly about making friends and what she should do (or, more important, not do) in order to be more successful. Jo Jo, whose misunderstandings of the world around her recall those of Amelia Bedelia, also has trouble with her clueless white teacher, who can't see beyond Jo Jo's "wrong" answers in order to understand the Native perspectives that inform her logic. Ojibwe and Michif words are sprinkled throughout and explained within the story; Audibert's black-and-white illustrations help to break up the text for younger readers. Very few comparable stories for this age group exist; further Jo Jo adventures are promised.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this buoyant series starter by Ojibwe author Quigley (Apple in the Middle), Indigenous first grader Josephine Makoons Azure, known as Jo Jo, narrates her experiences of home and school on the fictional Pem-bina Ojibwe Reservation, where she lives with her mother and grandmother. In a winning, straightforward voice ("Ojibwe is my Native American tribe. You say it like this: Oh-JIB-way. See? Ojibwe"), Jo Jo introduces her growing concerns. Cat Mimi, Jo Jo's "home best friend who ignores me sometimes," needs shots, which the girl believes may deflate the feline, "just like a balloon letting the air out." Jo Jo also worries that her school best friend, Fern, may not want to eat lunch with her anymore. Quigley adeptly creates strong classroom scenes that convey an inclusive student body's realistic dynamic and an endearing, assured seven-year-old protagonist who appreciates her cultural identity ("If you can say Tyrannosaurus rex, you can say nindizhinikaaz"). B&w cartoon drawings by Audibert (This Place), who is of Wolastoqey/French heritage, emphasize characterization throughout. Front matter discusses reservations and Native Nations; back matter includes a Michif and Ojibwe glossary with pronunciations and an author's note. Ages 6--10. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--5--Seven-year-old Jo Jo Makoons Azure lives on a fictional version of an Ojibwe reservation, and likes to do things a little differently than everyone else. When her cat Mimi sleeps on her feet every night and makes them too warm, Jo Jo solves the problem by cutting the toes off all of her nighttime socks. Her idea of Language Arts is drawing pictures with Ojibwe captions for Teacher: "language + arts!" Readers follow Jo Jo through a myriad of first grade adventures involving her family, classmates, and cat Mimi. Even though Mimi is her best friend at home, Jo Jo is worried about her friendship with Fern when the girl stops doing school best friend things like saving her a seat at lunch. The story playfully captures age-appropriate concerns and interests, as young Jo Jo navigates family traditions and shifting friendships. Audibert's fun illustrations utilize big expressions to convey the book's gentle high jinks and Jo Jo's rambunctious, carefree nature. Quigley includes "Jo Jo's Glossary" and an author's note for further explanation about Ojibwe language and culture. The story is interspersed with Ojibwe and Michif words; Jo Jo even explains that if readers can pronounce Tyrannosaurs rex, they should be able to say these words as well. VERDICT A sweet, slice-of-life series debut. Readers will love Jo Jo and want to be her friend.--Danielle Burbank, San Juan Coll., Farmington, NM
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Review by Horn Book Review
This series opener introduces Jo Jo Makoons Azure, a rambunctious first grader with "strong lungs" (according to her mom) and a wish to make more friends. In eight brief yet eventful chapters, we follow this seven-year-old Everygirl through a relatable and entertaining series of misadventures and misunderstandings -- over everything from rhyming words, to teachers ("Jim" is astonishingly not the P. E. teacher's first name), to Little Shell Elementary School's yearbook cover. Through it all, the first-person narrative is consistently engaging, with just the right touch of primary-grade silliness to balance out Jo Jo's fears about friendship. Will Mimi, her cat and "home best friend," deflate like a balloon when she gets her shots? And why hasn't Fern, her "school best friend," been sitting with her at lunch lately? Throughout, contemporary Native culture takes center stage: Jo Jo's multigenerational family lives on the fictional Pembina Ojibwe reservation; some Ojibwe and Michif words are phonetically spelled within the text in a manner consistent with Jo Jo's hilariously frank voice ("If you can say Tyrannosaurus rex, you can say nindizhinikaaz ["my name is..." in Ojibwe]"). Audibert's cartoony illustrations add humorous layers to this exemplary transitional reader. Sam Bloom July/August 2021 p.122(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This silly chapter book features a funny Ojibwe girl protagonist. Set on a fictional reservation known as the Pembina Ojibwe, this story introduces Jo Jo, an intelligent and charismatic first grader who is fretting over two big problems in this series opener. Her first worry concerns her home best friend, Mimi the cat, who she fears may deflate when she gets vaccinated. Her second concern is that her school best friend, Fern, has begun to ignore her at lunchtime. From Jo Jo's difficulties with language arts to her attempts to save Mimi, hijinks emerge. Through it all, cultural information about Jo Jo's Ojibwe way of life is shared in a way that suggests her pride for her people, traditions, and family. Young readers will revel in the humor this chapter book offers: the wordplay, the nicknames, and Jo Jo's irrepressible narrative voice. But it is the friendships at her school, where her teacher is White and her classmates are multicultural, that will linger with readers. Even though it is in a border town, the school Jo Jo attends respects her cultural traditions, and the effect is heartwarming. Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) provides a glossary of Ojibwe and Michif words that enhances the experience. Audibert (of Wolastoqey and French heritage) supplies plentiful grayscale illustrations that depict Jo Jo and her friends with big, pretty eyes and expressive faces. A joyful book about growing up Native in a loving community--not to be missed. (Fiction. 6-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
