Jo Jo Makoons: Snow Day

Dawn Quigley is back with a third Jo Jo Makoons early chapter book, and this one is perfect for reading as the weather gets colder and you dream of snowy days curled up inside. Rambunctious Jo Jo and her beloved cat, Mimi, are learning about what it means to be healthy: eating healthy foods, getting exercise, vitamins, etc. When the snow day throws things into a slower pace, and cancels school, she goes on an adventure to check on her elders in the neighborhood, deliver warm soup, and share the message of healthiness through their own Olympic games in the snow.

This has the signature black and white illustrations that early chapter books thrive on, a lot of side-eye from the adults that parent readers will enjoy, and Jo Jo’s Ojibwe culture woven throughout the story as a nice way to share Native cultures and experiences in a way that feels like a sliding glass door to readers.

I would recommend Jo Jo Makoons’ books to read-aloud in kindergarten through second grade classes, and for readers who aren’t quite ready for Heidi Heckelbeck’s length yet but want engaging protagonists and school-esque stories that still come to life.