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Little Joe

Name: Little Joe
Author: Neil Wallace, Sandra , Elliott, Mark
ISBN: 9780375860973

by Neil Wallace, Sandra, Elliott, Mark

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Overview

It’s a cold December night and Fancy, the Stegner family’s cow, is about to give birth. Out pops Little Joe, a huge bull calf, and with him comes nine-year-old Eli’s first chance to raise an animal to show at next fall’s county fair. Over the next ten months, Eli, and Little Joe, learn some hard lessons about growing up and what it means to take on bigger responsibilities, especially when it comes to taking care of another living thing. But one thing Eli is trying not to think about is what will happen to Little Joe after the fair: it’s auction time, and he’ll have to sell Little Joe!

In this appealing and heartwarming story that’s reminiscent of James Herriot’s books, Eli comes to terms with some of the realities of life on his family’s farm, and in the outside world, as he raises his first bull calf for competition. Told in a straightforward and appealing text, brimming with lush details about the natural world of the farm, and with characters that are sure to appeal to readers, Eli’s story is one that may not be familiar to every kid, but the themes of growing up and learning some difficult lessons will appeal to kids and adults alike.

Synopsis

It's a cold December night and Fancy, the Stegner family's cow, is about to give birth. Out pops Little Joe, a huge bull calf, and with him comes nine-year-old Eli's first chance to raise an animal to show at next fall's county fair. Over the next ten months, Eli, and Little Joe, learn some hard lessons about growing up and what it means to take on bigger responsibilities, especially when it comes to taking care of another living thing. But one thing Eli is trying not to think about is what will happen to Little Joe after the fair: it's auction time, and he'll have to sell Little Joe!

In this appealing and heartwarming story that's reminiscent of James Herriot's books, Eli comes to terms with some of the realities of life on his family's farm, and in the outside world, as he raises his first bull calf for competition. Told in a straightforward and appealing text, brimming with lush details about the natural world of the farm, and with characters that are sure to appeal to readers, Eli's story is one that may not be familiar to every kid, but the themes of growing up and learning some difficult lessons will appeal to kids and adults alike.

About the Author, Neil Wallace, Sandra , Elliott, Mark

Sandra Neil Wallace is a former television sportscaster at ESPN and has written for various magazines for both children and adults. Until recently she lived next door to a family-owned and -operated cattle farm in eastern Pennsylvania, which provided the inspiration for her debut novel, Little Joe, as well as much of the technical information in the book. She now lives in Keene, New Hampshire, with her husband and fellow Knopf author, Rich Wallace.

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Editorials

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Nine-year-old Eli, excited to be raising his first Angus calf, dubs the young bull Little Joe. Dad cautions against getting attached (“No use naming something that’s gonna get eaten”), while Eli worries about living up to Dad’s standards at the fair. Luckily, Grandpa is more understanding, teaching Eli the finer points of showing cattle, reassuring him when Dad is too punitive, and purchasing the prize steer to keep it out of the food chain. Wallace sets her story in rural Pennsylvania, where spring peepers and spotted salamanders still cross country roads and swimming holes are a welcome summer respite. Characters are well drawn, especially Eli, Dad, Grandpa, and Keller, a ne’er-do-well friend who raises pigs. Animal lovers will be fascinated by the details of raising beef cattle as well as the economic realities of modern farm life. Elliott’s pencil sketches decorate each chapter heading and highlight key scenes. --(Kay Weisman)

Children's Literature - Barbara Carroll Roberts

Eli thinks a newborn calf is just about the best Christmas gift anyone could get. So when Pa says the new calf born on Christmas Eve is Eli's own to raise and show at the fair, Eli is ecstatic. But being responsible for raising and training a calf is much more challenging than he expects. Teaching the calf, Little Joe, to wear a halter and be led by a rope leaves Eli's hands so cut up with rope burns, he has to get stitches. Weaning the calf keeps Eli up all night as Little Joe bawls for his mother. And training Little Joe for the show ring takes hours and hours of concentrated work. Then there's the worry—will Little Joe be good enough to win a blue ribbon? And worst of all, Pa says Eli must sell Little Joe at the fair. How will Eli ever bear to part with the calf he's raised from a newborn? Newly independent readers who like books about animals will enjoy this gentle story of life on a cattle farm, but those who like action and adventure will find it far too slow. In addition, though Wallace shows ability with vivid descriptions, her characters don't rise far above stereotypes—Pa is gruff and all-business; Grandpa is loving and patient; Ma exists mostly to prepare food and keep little sister Hannah out of the way; and Hannah is such a silly, scaredy-cat girl, and so marginalized by Eli's disdain for her, she seems to be lifted straight out a book from the 1950s. In addition, Wallace's choice to have all the characters speak in what one assumes is supposed to be a "country" vernacular—with dropped Gs and fractured grammar—simply doesn't ring true. Eli and his family don't sound like farmers, they sound like caricatures, making the book a poor choice for a read-aloud. The full-page, black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout the book are attractive and nicely done, but don't add much to the story. All in all, though this is a nice story, it's unlikely to capture the attention of children who don't already love reading about animals. Reviewer: Barbara Carroll Roberts