'Melons. Melons for sale!' Every day, Jo-Jo brays the same message and carries the heavy melons through the streets of Venice. Bullied by his master and plagued by flies, Jo-Jo is loved by nobody. But one day, somebody notices Jo-Jo. The famous Doge's daughter herself! And when danger looms, the Venetians need a hero to save them ...From the master storyteller himself comes a story about an evolving friendship between Jo-Jo and the Doge's daughter, who loves the donkey despite his lowly position. A real feeling of of warmth and hope is created in this timeless, classical tale.

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2013 by Egmont UK Ltd .

Helen Stephens is the successful illustrator of the Ruby books (Kingfisher), and is known for her bright, fresh artwork and endearing child characters. This is her first project with Macmillan. Michael Morpurgo has brought together poems by writers as diverse as Spike Milligan and Stevie Smith, John Lennon and Jo Shapcott.