Where'd My Jo Go?

by Jill Esbaum, Scott Brundage (Illustrator)

Overview

When trucker Jo hits the open road, her faithful little doggy pal, Big Al, is always with her. The two make a fine traveling team until Big Al gets distracted after a potty break at a rest stop and wanders off. In her rush to get back on the road, Jo doesn't realize her best buddy isn't in the truck cab. As soon as Big Al figures out what has happened, he is determined that nothing will distract him from his plan to wait for Jo to come back. Well, almost nothing. When you're a dog, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar and tempting sights and smells, and even new humans. Told in both Jo's and Big Al's voices, this heartwarming story of separation and joyful reunion is based on a true event.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534110441
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	04/15/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	6 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jill Esbaum is the author of several books for young readers. She lives on a farm near Dixon, Iowa.
Mary Newell DePalma is the illustrator of several books for children, including Knock! Knock! She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

2020-02-18
A small dog named Big Al gets left behind at a truck stop, where he waits for his owner to come back for him.

Jo drives a big, blue rig with Al in the seat next to her, sharing life on the road. Al has white fur with rust-colored spots and dark, expressive eyes, poignantly illustrated on the appealing cover. Jo has curly, red hair, light skin, and a jaunty baseball cap personalized with her name. In peppy, rhyming text Al details his antics around the truck stop and his sad realization that while he was playing, he was left behind when Jo hit the road. Al waits at the truck stop all afternoon and into the night, growing more and more worried about Jo’s whereabouts. Just as a brown-skinned boy named Zack is begging his parents to let him adopt the stray dog he’s found, Jo pulls up in her blue truck for a happy reunion with her canine best friend. Watercolor-and-pencil illustrations of Al’s playful behavior and expressions help make him an irresistible character. A wide variety of formats and perspectives add interest, with a fine sense of dramatic suspense particularly evident in the nighttime scenes.

Humor, emotion, and great puppy-dog eyes. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews