Available now
Jack, the board book
$9.99
One copy. Sturdy board pages, 7.5 by 6.5 inches, sized for small hands.
Buy Jack, $9.99The Jack board book
Watch their eyes light up on page one.
Meet Jack, the mischievous pug who steals shoes and every little reader's heart. A first book your child can start reading along with, made for first-time readers by a veteran literacy intervention teacher.
Then, turn the page
And do it again.
Designed to help early readers feel like readers from page one, so they come back for page two.
Buy Jack, $9.99Inside Jack
No!No, no!No, no, no!
Jack grabs a shoe. A finger points. Your child reads the word.
Jack. A real pug with a real personality.
- The book
- Sturdy board book, $9.99
- Ages
- 2 to 4 to read along, 4 to 6 as a first reader
- Ships
- Packed by the author in New Jersey
The moment you've been waiting for
Before they can read words, they can read Jack.
You've been waiting for the moment your little one picks up a book and reads it, really reads it, all by themselves. That moment is closer than you think.
Jack is designed so even the youngest preschooler can look at every page and "read" the story, first along with you, then on their own. No frustration. Just pride and joy.
- 01They look at the picture
- 02They say the word with you
- 03They turn the page and do it again
Why Jack works
Simple. Joyful. Impossible to put down.
Five things a literacy teacher built into one small, sturdy book.
- 01
Readable from page one
Designed so a child with no reading skills yet can follow along and tell the whole story themselves. Confidence from the very first page.
- 02
A character they'll love instantly
Jack is a real pug with a real personality: goofy, lovable, and always up to something. Kids connect with him on sight.
- 03
Illustrations that tell the story
Robyn Trimboli-Russo's watercolor art is so expressive, children understand exactly what Jack is thinking and feeling without a single word.
- 04
A read-again-and-again book
Kids will beg for it at bedtime, at breakfast, in the car. The more they read it, the more their early reading confidence grows.
- 05
Board book built to last
Thick, sturdy pages made for little hands. It can handle everything a toddler throws at it (and Jack has probably chewed worse).
Meet Jack
A pug, a shoe, and a very real family.
Jack is a pug who cannot leave a shoe alone. Sneakers, loafers, a grown-up's slipper: if someone is wearing it, Jack has a plan for it. Every page is one small, funny moment a child can follow from the picture alone.
The stories grow out of the real-life adventures of the Vona family. Donna and her daughter Elena share a bond formed through the gift of adoption, and Jack's world is built from their forever family's everyday chaos.
- Name
- Jack
- Breed
- Pug
- Known for
- Taking your shoes
Jack, read the way it is meant to be read: by the reader.
The author
It started with a three-year-old who begged, "Teach me to read, Mom!"
Donna Vona, M.Ed., is a veteran literacy intervention teacher who has taught reading in both regular and special education classrooms. When her daughter Elena was three and wanted to read, her preschool was not teaching it, so Elena went to the one person she knew could help. Donna knew how to adjust her teaching to light the spark, and Elena has loved to read ever since.
Elena is 22 now, and she co-writes the Jack series with her mother, bringing her sense of humor and her love of words. Robyn Trimboli-Russo paints the watercolors. Together they make books for the next generation of readers, and for the mothers (and everyone who does the mothering) who read with them.
- Written by
- Donna Vona, M.Ed. Veteran literacy intervention teacher
- Co-written by
- Elena Vona The original "Teach me to read, Mom!"
- Illustrated by
- Robyn Trimboli-Russo Watercolor, every page
- Made for
- First-time readers Ages 2 to 6
What parents and educators say
Real reactions from real readers.
I bought this for my 3-year-old and she immediately sat down and 'read' the whole thing to her stuffed animals. I've never seen her so proud of herself.
As a preschool teacher, I'm always looking for books that give every child a chance to feel successful. Jack does that in the very first sitting. I ordered a copy for every classroom.
My grandson asked me to read Jack 14 times this weekend. Fourteen. I know because I counted. Well worth it.
You have taught us how to read, and more than that, how to dream. It is like you have performed a miracle!
Quotes as shared on teachmetoreadmom.com; the last is from a family in Donna's earlier reading program. Every child is different, and experiences vary.
Get Jack
One small book. A very big first.
Buy one for your own little reader, three for the people on your gift list, or ten for a classroom.
For gifting*
The Gift Trio
$24.99
Three Jacks, free shipping. One for home, one for Grandma, one for the next birthday party.
Buy the Gift TrioFor classrooms*
The Class 10-pack
$89.99
Ten copies for a classroom, a preschool library or a reading group.
Buy the Class 10-pack*Proposed bundles. Today the single board book is the one live listing, and every button on this page goes to it. Shipping is shown at checkout.
Coming spring
Next on the shelf: the five‑vowel reader set.
Five small phonics-based books, one for each short vowel, with very simple words and pictures. Jack introduces the characters; the set takes the next step.
Hear first when it is ready- Book 1short a
- Book 2short e
- Book 3short i
- Book 4short o
- Book 5short u
Free for parents
The Reading Readiness Checklist.
Donna's one-page list of the small signs a child is ready for a first book, with one thing to try at home for each. Free by email, plus a note when the five-vowel set arrives.
Questions parents ask
Good questions.
Short answers about ages, shipping and what comes next.
Buy Jack, $9.99What ages is Jack for?
Ages 2 to 4 to read along with a grown-up, and 4 to 6 as a first early reader they can try on their own. Younger children point and say the words with you; older children read it back to you, or to a row of stuffed animals.
What does "reading" mean for a three-year-old?
At three, reading looks like this: your child looks at the picture, knows what Jack is up to, and says the word on the page with you. Jack keeps the words short and lets Robyn's pictures carry the story, so a preschooler can tell it back on their own. That first "I read it!" feeling is the point. Sounding out new words comes later, and every child gets there at their own pace.
Where does it ship from?
Every order is packed by the author in New Jersey and ships within the US. Shipping is shown at checkout before you pay.
Is Jack on Amazon?
Not yet. An Amazon listing is on the way. Ordering here buys the book straight from the author.
Can you gift wrap it or send it to someone else?
Gift wrapping is not offered yet. You can send Jack straight to a grandchild, a niece or a classroom by entering their address at checkout.
What is the five-vowel set, and when is it coming?
Five small phonics-based books, one for each short vowel, with very simple words and pictures. The set is planned for spring. There is no price or pre-order yet; join the checklist list and you will hear first.
Reading tips
From the reading room.
Is my child ready to read? Seven signs a teacher looks forSeven signs a literacy teacher looks for before a child starts reading, and what each one looks like at your kitchen table.
What 'reading' actually looks like at three (and why it counts)Pointing, picture reading, retelling and reciting a favorite line are all real early reading, and here is why they matter.Give them their first "I read it!" moment.
Jack is waiting to be their very first book, and their absolute favorite.
Get Jack for your little reader By Donna and Elena Vona. Illustrated by Robyn Trimboli-Russo.