Her mom's promised end-of-afternoon surprise comforts Jo throughout the day she has to stay home because she's not feeling well. Through her apartment window, Jo watches familiar comings and goings: the mail carrier, the milk delivery, neighbors. A fresh glimpse of a biracial family in a multicultural urban neighborhood is illustrated with pen and ink and watercolor images of daily life shown in an upbeat way. (Ages 3-7)

Staying home sick for the day, Jo waits eagerly for her mother to return from work with a promised surprise.