Jo and the No by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Judy Watson

Title: Jo and the No

Author: Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Judy Watson

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Dirt Lane Press

Published: 1^st March 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 40

Price: $28.95

Synopsis: A gentle fable about overcoming our resistance to the unknown.

Sometimes, when we’re faced with something new, we push it away.

We tell ourselves ‘No!’ even when a part of us wants to say ‘Yes!’

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?

~*~

When Jo is faced with a No, they are trapped. The No refuses to let Jo go past it to be part of the community. So, Jo has to carry the No around, because it refuses to go when Jo shoos it away. Jo tries everything throughout the story. They try to go under it. They try to go over it. Everything! Jo must summon everything they have to find a way to overcome the No. Can Jo do it?

Jo and the No is a delightful and gentle fable that examines how fear can affect how we respond to the world around us and make us resistance to change or fear change. It explores the feelings that come up with something we’re unsure about – because throughout our lives at any age, there will be things that scare us. Times we say no when we really want to say yes, when saying yes is so terrifying, that no is the first response that comes out. It’s okay to say no, and it’s okay to say yes. It’s okay to be scared and unsure, and it’s okay to ask for more information before saying yes, because knowing more about what we are being asked can help us make the right decision. The fair decision and the decision that makes us feel at ease the most.

Making decisions is hard, and sometimes the simplest questions can be the hardest to answer. For kids and adults, there can be so many reasons why. The Yes might not always come that easily, because the idea of the request is overwhelming. The Yes hides away when we’re working through something else. It can take a lot of courage to say Yes to some things, and all Jo wants to do is say Yes!

Letting the No get its way has made Jo work hard to push it away and find out how to get beyond it. Overcoming the No means being brave, stepping outside of our comfort zones and trying something new at times. This can be hard for anyone, and sometimes, finding a happy balance between say Yes but with your own boundaries can be a good way to overcome the No. Saying Yes and overcoming the No is empowering. It shows us how we can make changes – even small changes in our lives to build our confidence. That is what overcoming the No is often about – finding the strength and confidence to know what to say Yes to, when to say Yes and how to say Yes without feeling like we’re being pressured to.

This book is a lovely reminder that we all have the strength and abilities to say we can do something – we just need to find the confidence to.