When Jo Louis Won the Title

With the first day of school just around the corner, Jo Louis worries that the other children will make fun of her name, until her grandfather reveals the story behind her unusual name and tells her about the great Joe Louis.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-The first day at a new school causes anxiety for Jo Louis, a young African-American girl who worries that she'll be teased because of her unusual name. Her grandfather tries to comfort her by telling her the story of its origins. He describes how as a young man he moved to Harlem from the South in search of a better life, and how upon his arrival he got caught up in a spirited celebration because Joe Louis had just won the heavyweight boxing title. That same night, Jo's grandfather met his future wife; hence they named their son after the champion, and he in turn passed it on to his daughter. Grandfather tells Jo that she should be proud of her name, and she is relieved when she has a positive first encounter with a classmate. Rochelle pens a warm, intergenerational story, and Johnson's paintings work well with the text. While Joe Louis and the significance of his victory will have to be explained to most of the intended audience, the fear associated with the first day in a new school will not. Try paring this book with Jacob Lawrence's The Great Migration (HarperCollins, 1993).
Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"I don't want to be the new girl in a new neighborhood at a new school," says a girl to her grandfather when he asks why she looks so sad. Pressed for the real reason, Jo admits that she's embarrassed by her unusual name. "Every name has a special story," the old man says. He then tells her how he came north by train, from Mississippi to Harlem, and arrived the magical night that Joe Louis won the boxing championship-also the night he met his wife to be. Made to feel special by her grandfather, Jo gains a new pride in her name. Superbly crafted, Rochelle's (Witnesses to Freedom) story flows effortlessly toward its happy conclusion, affectionately and lyrically evoking both a sense of family history and the loving bond between the child and her grandfather. The warm autumn hues of Johnson's (Knoxville, Tennessee) confident paintings both echo and reinforce this bond. It's a marvelous family story, sure to spark discussion about one of the most important and unique things a child possesses: her name. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-8. Jo Louis dreads being the new girl at a new school in a new neighborhood; what she hates most is telling new people her name. Then her loving grandfather tells her the story of that name and what it has meant across generations in their family. He remembers how he left Mississippi as a young man, heading north for Harlem. Walking the streets the first night in the big city, he found himself part of a huge neighborhood celebration: Joe Louis had won the fight; it was a special day for black people everywhere. For the young country boy, the night was also special because he met his wife. They named their son after the champion, and that son was Jo Louis' father, who, in turn, named her. Johnson's glowing impressionistic paintings in shades of blue and brown show the smiling affection between the small girl and her strong grandfather as they sit close together and talk on the porch steps. She loves his stories. On her first day at school, her smiling bond is with the new friend she makes in the classroom. He thinks her name is great. Hazel Rochman