When my children were small I used to tell them stories of Jo Jo, an endearing but mischievous little girl of eight. After my children grew up they asked me to write out these stories so that they would have them for their children. I put it on the long finger. But some time ago I broke my ankle and I was laid up in a plaster cast for eight weeks just like Jo Jo. I had a choice: I could mope and feel sorry for myself or I could act. I decided to act, so every morning during my convalescence I hobbled into my study and wrote one complete story about Jo Jo. The result is what you have before you now: eleven adventures of Jo Jo. She has a great imagination. She loves the woods and she can talk to the animals and many of the stories take place there. Do you know how the deer Rudolf got his red nose? Jo Jo found out. The city and her school also set her off on adventures and she gets whisked away to a magic kingdom, and at the seaside a crab turns into something else. Most times Jo Jo is good but she can be scary too like in the story of the moving door handle. I hope that not only my grandchildren but children everywhere and adults who are young at heart will enjoy these stories of Jo Jo.
‘The new generation character to replace Snow White, Cinderella and many more.’ Amazon review.
‘James Lawless has a mighty thoughtful and penetrating capacity to make you gasp and rage and then burst out laughing.’ Jennifer Johnston, author.
Extract:
JO JO AND THE DEER
One day near Christmas Jo Jo went into the woods. The woods were at the back of her house. Her daddy was at work and her mammy was talking at the front gate to the neighbour Mrs Gillespy. She was busy talking about a deer that had run across the road and was hit by a car. The deer ran away. ‘A stupid deer,’ said Mrs Gillespy. ‘Maybe he was frightened,’ said Jo Jo’s mother. ‘Still,’ said Mrs Gillespy, ‘he could have caused a serious accident and maybe could have killed the man in the car. The man is very angry and he is hunting for the deer now. He has a gun…’
Available in Maynooth bookshop and on amazon and also in Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian at uk https://amzn.to/2HJLqKB or .com https://amzn.to/2JwVSrh or on other devices at https://bit.ly/38Xz5O6 Also on audio, beautifully narrated by Ronald Fox. Listen to an example at https://adbl.co/2EDPI3p
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