JoJo and the Twins

Fancy Nancy's Little Sister

by Jane O'Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)

Fancy Nancy’s little sister JoJo returns in her very own adventure! JoJo is helping Mommy and Daddy with the new twins. But they look the same! How will JoJo tell the twins apart? JoJo’s plan will keep you laughing. Beginning readers will love this My First I Can Read that is carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and charming illustrations. From the beloved  New York Times bestselling author-illustrator team Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy JoJo and the Twins is a My First I Can Read, perfect for shared reading with a child.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Since the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur]

Jojo is Nancy's little sister and this book is from her perspective. The sisters have twin brothers whom Jojo can't tell apart and she comes up with an idea to mark them to tell them apart but her mum tells her not to mark the twins. Jojo comes up with few ideas and all those ideas get rejected by the parents. Then Jojo makes them smile and she finds out that their smiles are different. One has a dimple and the other doesn't.

A cute story about a sister having twin brothers with fun illustrations.

3.5 stars

[La Coccinelle]

Nancy and JoJo's mom was apparently pregnant at some point, because the girls now have twin brothers, Robby and Teddy! In this book, the premise is that it's difficult to tell the brothers apart. One of them has a little red mark on his butt, but other than that, they're identical. JoJo takes it upon herself to try to help differentiate the boys, but her mom catches her before she can do any damage with her markers. Eventually, though, JoJo finds a much cuter way to tell her new siblings apart.

The story in this one is cute, but simple (as in all the books told from JoJo's point of view). I don't know if these twins are new or if they've been around for a while (do they appear in the Nancy Clancy chapter books, for example?) but I kind of wish they were in more of the picture books; it would be interesting to see how Nancy deals with two un-fancy little brothers!

[Abby D]

Title: JoJo and the Twins
Author: Jane O'Connor
Copyright: 2018
Format: Early readers/easy readers (Level 1)

Summary: JoJo is doing her part to help out with the newborns…but there is just one major issue. JoJo can not figure out how to tell them apart…they are identical twins! This book is a comical adventure that goes through the methods JoJo used to tell them apart.

Reasoning: This early reader teaches young children about the concept of twins! It can be difficult and mysterious for young children to navigate having other siblings and having two is even harder! Little readers will enjoy learning about seeking out the unique differences in each other. This book also demonstrates how a family works together to take care of each other, specifically the littlest members.

[Sharon Orlopp]

Visited the Norman Public Library with my young nieces and nephew. Phenomenal library for children! Great activity areas as well as a huge selection of books.

JoJo and the Twins is a great easy read for entry level readers about the arrival of twins in a family. The older sister tries to figure out how to tell her two baby brothers apart.

My nieces loved this book because they are twins.

The artwork was terrific and the text was easy to read and follow.

[Rose Rosetree]

How do you babysit identical twins when you can't tell them apart? What's JoJo going to do? That JoJo is cute and means well. But how old-and-wise is she? From the illustrations, I'm guessing FIVE years old. From the tale that follows, maybe not yet terribly wise.

Fancy Nancy’s little sister JoJo is no longer the baby of the family. Now she has a new pair of twins in the family.

Mommy and Daddy would appreciate JoJo's help.

Eventually JoJo is the first one in the family to figure out an excellent way to tell those twins apart.

FIVE STARS for a sweet-and-entertaining story for "emergent readers."

[Diana]

None of the charm present in the Fancy Nancy books. This was a plodding little early reader. The story was easy enough to read, but it didn't hold me interest or the interest of my little reader. And the ending did not satisfy. While I like Fancy Nancy, I think I'll give the books about the sister a pass from now on.

[Becky B]

JoJo and Nancy have new twin brothers. JoJo loves her brothers but has trouble telling which one is which. Can she think of a way to make it easier to tell them apart that Mom will approve of?

JoJo's plans to "label" the twins are humorous and oh so believable for a child to come up with. The solution is sweet. This is a cute family story for just beginning readers.

[Anthony]

Jojo, Fancy Nancy's little sister, is now a big sister herself of two twin brothers Robby and Teddy. Jojo is having a problem trying to tell them apart, so she comes up with several ideas, but her mom and dad say no. Finally, she discovers how to tell them apart.

[Amy]

Kind of startling that the Clancy household suddenly has twins. Wish there had been a big Fancy Nancy book to introduce the idea first. But still cute, told in Jojo’s voice. My three year old enjoyed.

[Kayla Karnosh]

This is a very sweet story. I loved the way JoJo was clever and made the twins smile and laugh to be able to tell them apart. What a great way to distinguish between the twins without using physical aspects of their looks. Great for beginning readers!

[Cherish Brown]

(4☆ Would recommend)
Cute book. I like how there is a simple storyline for first readers, but it still consists of a problem & a solution. I like how the parents don't allow her to do whatever she wants, but they still love & encourage her.

[Ariel Webb]

Cute little early reader book. My daughter is a huge fan of Fancy Nancy so we loved hearing about the Clancy household from Jojo’s perspective.

[Miss Sarah]

Jojo and fancy nancy have gotten two new baby brothers and Jojo is working hard to be a good big sister. Cute. Preschool and up

[Juana]

I like JoJo's stories better. Nancy always seems so whiny, like a female Calliou. JoJo is more upbeat.

[Kris Dersch]

Meh. It's a perfectly serviceable big sister story but doesn't add anything new.

[Ian McHugh]

Florence loves this story of being a big sister - particularly the bit where she dances and sings for her little brothers.

[Eloise B.]

"I liked when the babies laughed at JoJo's jokes."

[Jessica]

Jojo has younger twin brothers. She can't tell them apart. She tries to write on them with markers, or maybe use stickers or stamps. Her parents stop her. The plot seems disjointed.

[Lorellie]

Tot and I both really enjoyed this one. The illustrations are gorgeous.

[Cyndy]

There are two new babies in the Clancy house. Robby and Teddy are new twin baby brothers to JoJo and Nancy. How will they ever tell the boys apart?

[Pinky]

Jojo figures out a way to tell Robby and Teddy apart.

[Jenny]

JoJo and the Twins
(Early J-Fic)

Summary:
JoJo has new twin brothers, Robby and Teddy. She loves them, but is afraid she won’t be able to tell which is which. So, she comes up with an idea. She gets markers and goes into their room, intending to put an “R” on Robby’s head and a “T” on Teddy’s. Fortunately, her mom finds her before she does it. So, she has to think up other ways. Maybe putting stickers, stamps, or headbands on them. One day, as she’s singing to them and making silly noises, they smile for the first time. And there it is! A way to tell them apart! Robby has a dimple, and Teddy does not. JoJo realizes that she’s a good big sister, and a smart one, too.

Why I chose this book:
JoJo is the little sister of Fancy Nancy, who has her own series of books. It’s an “I Can Read” book, so it’s a great way to introduce chapter books and also create interest in reading even more by leading kids to Nancy (or vice versa, depending on whether they’ve already seen the Nancy series). My own daughter has a few Fancy Nancy books, and I’ve always thought they were really cute.