JoJo the Giant

K-Gr 2—JoJo wishes he were bigger. Every day when his mother gets home from her job as a mail carrier, he asks her how much he has grown. Her answer is always the tiny amount of space found between her thumb and forefinger. He finally gets his wish when he wins first prize in a foot race—a pair of red Rocket Racers running shoes. After he gives the shoes to his mother, she tells him he's grown as much as her arms can stretch, and, when JoJo looks in the mirror, he sees a boy who is 10 feet tall. A few bullies, a tall braggart, and a suspense-filled race round out the plot. The average-quality illustrations mesh well with the text, giving the story additional life. This sweet story has some good-size text blocks so it's not a quick read. It is more appropriate for individual sharing than for storytimes.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH