By Christine McFaul
Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-To-Best Friend is an exuberant new chapter book starring a young Ojibwe girl. Written by Dawn Quigley (of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), illustrated by Tara Audibert (of Wolastoqey/French heritage), and published by Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins, this book is the first volume in the Jo Jo Makoons series.
“Hello / Boozhoo! Meet Jo Jo Makoons Azure nindizhinikaaz.”
“Big last word, right? You sound out that last word like this: nin-DEZH-in-i-kauz. Got it? If you can say Tyrannosaurus rex, you can say nindizhinikaaz.”
Jo Jo is a strong, smart, and irrepressible first-grader who lives on the fictional Pembina Ojibwe reservation. Humorously getting herself into, and out of, very relatable scrapes in this series opener, Jo Jo is facing two big problems: first, she is worried that her home best-friend, Mimi the cat, will deflate like a balloon when she gets her annual vaccination, and second, that her school best-friend Fern may not like her anymore.
Quigley writes these problems with just the right amount of hilarity, hijinks, and heart. Young readers will find themselves rooting for Jo Jo as she plots to save Mimi, frets over sitting alone at lunch, struggles with language arts, and enters a contest to have her art featured on the school yearbook. Aspects of the Ojibwe way of life are beautifully and naturally woven into the story, mainly through Jo Jo’s voice, which brims with passion and pride for her family, language, and traditions.
By the end of the story, Jo Jo has expanded her view of what it means to “be a friend,” ultimately learning, “You don’t have to try to be friends with everyone. But…you should try to be friendly with everyone.”
I love a strong-voiced character for this readership age group, and Quigley delivers. As a word-nerd, I also love how this story celebrates language which includes clever wordplay, plenty of puns, as well as the sharing of the Ojibwe and Michif languages that are special to Jo Jo. The narrative is enhanced by Audibert’s illustrations, which are modern, adorable, and fun. Paced well through the book, they really bring Jo Jo’s mischievousness and the supporting cast of characters to life. Jo Jo is depicted with long hair, big eyes, and stylish, quirky clothes that match her irrepressible personality. If you didn’t find her completely irresistible via the text alone, Audibert’s illustrations will certainly finish the job.
Heartwarming, humorous, with an unforgettable main character, I loved The Used-To-Be Best Friend from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read what Jo Jo Makoons does next in the series.
Thank you, Heartdrum and HarperCollins, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.