A gentle fable about overcoming our resistance to the unknown. Written by Kyle Mewburn and illustrated by Judy Watson

OUT NOW FROM DIRT LANE PRESS

Written by Kyle Mewburn 
and published by Dirt Lane Press
an imprint of WestWords Ltd
ISBN 978-1-923044-26-5
Order here or in your local bookshop.

Jo has come across a NO. It will not let them pass, no matter how hard they try to get under, over, through or around it. How will Jo overcome the NO?

Reviews

‘Holy moly, hot patooties and my giddy aunt. This book is a unique and magnificent offering in the kaleidoscope of children’s picture books. I’ve seen nothing quite like it on the market.’ Review by Dimity Powell for Kids’ Book Review. Read the full review here.

’Jo and the No is an exquisitely beautiful and quietly powerful story that will encourage readers to contemplate on how to overcome resistance and try new things.’ Sandhya Parappukkaran at Storylinks. Read the full review at the link here. Find out more about author Sandhya Parappukkaran here.

’Like all of the very best picture books, newly released ‘Jo and the NO’ sits with the reader long after the last page has been turned. Forty pages of lyrical language by Kyle Mewburn and luscious artwork by Judy Watson combine to convey the story of Jo and their niggling NO. The concept of self-limiting thoughts and their consequences on how we live our life are portrayed in an engaging and, at times, profound way through the alchemy of words and art.’ EMMA BOWD – read the full review on Instagram via the QR code below.

‘ I love picture books even if I don’t always fully relate to them as an adult, but this adorable picture book Jo and the No surprised me and spoke to me in ways I did not expect. Inspiring and thought-provoking for children – my kids have already read it a few times and we’ve had wonderful discussions each time – but inspiring and thought provoking for me too.

I’ve been held back by plenty of NOs throughout my life. Times when my mind told me NO because I was afraid, I believed I wasn’t good enough, or I thought I’d embarrass myself by trying something new. And I’m glad to say I’ve pushed past that resistance and some of the NOs to get where I am now. Just like Jo in the book, I took small steps and then bigger ones before I was ready to let go of the NO. A beautiful book for kids and adults alike, and particularly timely for one of my kids as they’ve had lots of resistance to something they’ve been wanting to try.’ MELISSA-JANE FOGARTY (NGUYEN) – from CREATING THROUGH CHAOS or read the review on Instagram at the QR code below.

Teachers’ notes

Below you can download teachers’ notes and a file with some reviews and personal statements from author Kyle Mewburn and myself to help you and your students make the most of Jo and the NO.

About illustrating this Book

This book was an adventure to illustrate! I was given total freedom to use whatever media I chose, to polish or not polish my illustrations, or to simply use the roughs as final art. I was both intoxicated and terrified. And so, my journey of illustration mirrored that of the protagonist in the most perfect way.

The only difference is that Jo’s journey of self discovery has ended poetically in a field of flowers, whereas I am still half way up a mountain. But that’s okay. I’m enjoying the view and pursuing the journey with an open heart.

For this book, I used graphite pencil, acrylic paint, black ink, charcoal, pastel, monotype, foam print and collage combined with  digital colour and halftone effects.