A heart-filled children’s book series

Big courage for small readers still finding their herd.

Follow JoJo, a small giraffe with pink glasses, a pink scarf, a brave heart, and a world full of big challenges. Through friendship, family, school, sports, first crushes, and growing up, JoJo learns that being different does not mean being less.

Created by Christina Pudetti

JoJo giraffe with Cannoli and Teddy at a colorful party

The heart of the series

JoJo’s world grows as she grows.

The JoJo Stands Tall series begins when JoJo is young and follows her through new homes, new schools, friendships, sports, first-crush feelings, high school, dreams, independence, college, and the brave work of becoming herself.

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For children who feel different

JoJo’s stories speak to children who have felt too small, too nervous, too unsure, too different, or left out of the memories everyone else seems to make easily.

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Friendship that makes room

The series celebrates friends who do not ask JoJo to become smaller, quieter, or less herself. A real herd makes room for all of you.

Confidence from the inside

Each book helps JoJo learn that standing tall is not about size. It is about courage, kindness, boundaries, and believing she belongs.

Books in the series

Follow JoJo’s journey

Each story stands on its own while building a larger coming-of-age path full of courage, softness, humor, and hope.

Book 2

JoJo Finds Her Herd

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

JoJo learns what real friendship feels like when she finds people who protect her, laugh with her, and make room for all of who she is.

Book 3

JoJo Finds Her Game

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

JoJo wants to be part of school, part of the activities, and part of the memories. She learns that finding her game means trusting that the right places will make room for all of who she is.

Book 4 planned

JoJo Finds Her Heart

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

As JoJo enters high school, friendship grows into first-crush feelings. She learns that being liked by someone does not mean shrinking herself or changing who she is.

Future Book

JoJo Takes the Wheel

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

JoJo faces new independence, big nerves, and the challenge of learning how to move through a world that was not built for someone her size.

Future Book

JoJo Finds Her Future

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

JoJo begins thinking about who she wants to become, what she loves, and how her differences can become part of her path instead of something that holds her back.

Future Book

JoJo’s Suitcase Full of Brave

A JoJo Stands Tall Story

JoJo prepares for college and a new adventure away from home, carrying her memories, lessons, herd, and a suitcase full of brave.

Meet the herd

Characters readers can grow with

JoJo’s world is filled with family, friends, pets, and comfort characters who help children see support, bravery, humor, and love.

JoJo family and friends character lineup
JoJo

JoJo

Small, brave, stylish, and full of heart.

Mama and Papa Giraffe

Mama & Papa Giraffe

Warm, protective, steady, reliable, and supportive.

Gio Giraffe

Gio Giraffe

JoJo’s playful brother, sometimes silly and always part of the herd.

Nanny Giraffe

Nanny Giraffe

JoJo’s sister and Gio’s twin. Kind and observant.

Cannoli puppy

Cannoli

JoJo’s best friend, a wild puppy and the runt of her litter.

Teddy bird

Teddy

A tiny bird with a big personality. JoJo’s fearless sidekick.

For parents, teachers, and young readers

A series with warmth, meaning, and room for big conversations.

JoJo’s stories can open gentle conversations about bullying, feeling different, moving, friendship, body confidence, trying new things, disappointment, boundaries, and the courage to keep becoming yourself.

  • Great for family reading
  • Helpful for classroom conversations
  • Encouraging for children with differences
  • Full of heart, humor, and hope
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About the creator

Created with love, compassion, and understanding.

I created JoJo in 2023 because I could not find the story my family needed.

JoJo was inspired by my daughter and her real-life experiences growing up with a growth disorder. She has always stayed very small and stopped growing long before most children her age. That brought moments that were emotionally difficult for her and for our family, especially in a world that does not always understand what it feels like to be different.

Her favorite animal has always been the giraffe, partly because of her dream of wishing she could be bigger. I searched for children’s books that used giraffes to gently explore growth, acceptance, differences, moving, losing friends, meeting new people, and learning from life changes — but I could not find what we needed.

So I created it.

JoJo became a small giraffe in a very tall world, filled with pink glasses, pink clothes, a brave heart, and a spirit that shines in every shade of pink. To JoJo, standing tall does not mean being the biggest. It means picking herself up, raising her face to the sun, and trying again with everything she has.

The JoJo Stands Tall series was created with love, compassion, and understanding for every child who has ever felt too small for a very big world. As JoJo grows, the books grow with her, helping readers explore self-worth, confidence, resilience, friendship, belonging, and the powerful truth that different does not mean less, small does not mean weak, real friends make room for you, and you never have to become someone else to belong.

Ready to stand tall with JoJo?

Start the series today.

Follow JoJo as she grows through friendship, school, sports, first love, independence, and the brave adventure of becoming herself.

Buy the JoJo Series on Amazon