Sumo Joe
by Mia Wenjen (Author) Nat Iwata (Illustrator)
In this sweet and funny story, Sumo Joe and his friends enjoy pretending to be sumo wrestlers. But when his little sister wants to join their boy-only game, what should Sumo Joe do?
On Saturday mornings, Sumo Joe is a gentle big brother to his little sister. But on Saturday afternoons, he and his friends are sumo wrestlers! They tie on makeshift mawashi belts, practice drills like teppo, and compete in their homemade dohyo ring. They even observe sumo's ultimate rule: no girls allowed! But when Sumo Joe's little sister wants to join in the fun, Sumo Joe is torn between the two things he's best at--sumo, and being a big brother. Fists, feet, and martial art forms collide in this sweet yet spirited rhyming story by author Mia Wenjen and illustrator Nat Iwata.
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Publishers Weekly
A sister eagerly wakes her big yet gentle older brother, "Sumo Joe." As the girl leaves, Joe welcomes two friends to "practice sumo!" in "the ring" (pillows in a circle), each wrapped in a mawashi. Wenjen describes their sumo moves in straightforward rhymes: "Hands on knees,/ leg raised slow,/ practice shiko." When the sister arrives home, she "wants to join/ boy-only place./ She's not allowed/ in sacred space." Joe hesitates (readers may bristle), but his sister breaks out her aikido skills: "Aikido Jo beats Sumo Joe!" Newcomers Wenjen and Iwata--who illustrates in a playfully expressive style--offer an affectionate story about good-natured sibling rivalry and refusing to be underestimated. Back matter includes an author's note and an illustrated glossary relating to sumo and aikido. Ages 5-6. (May)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV032070 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Martial Arts
Wrestling
Aikido
Sumo
