'...Big Joe was sitting on the floor of his room, sobbing his heart out...'

This quote and the character of Big Joe is taken from the book 'Private Peaceful' by Michael Morporgo (sp?). I read it recently and fell in love with Tommo, Charlie and their brother Big Joe who suffers from some form of autism. The scene this picture is based around is when the boys' mother has to work long hours to earn enough money because their father has just died. Their Grandmother (nick-named Grandmother Wolf), comes to look after them but she doesn't understand Big Joe's behaviour and treats him horribly. One of Big Joes hobbies, besides singing 'Oranges and Lemons' at any opportunity possible, is collecting wild life and keeping things as pets. When family friend, Molly, finds him a field mouse for his birthday he is over the moon, finding the mouse a home in his bedroom draws. However Grandmother Wolf finds it and kills it when Charlie and Tommo are at school. She then finds the rest of Big Joe's animal collection and disguards it. The quote above and in the picture is described by Tommo as he finds Big Joe later on, having discovered what Grandmother Wolf has done.