Daddy Mojo, Author at Daddy Mojo

Tell Me About Space is proof that a board book can extend where you think it is

One of my favorite family photos is of our oldest son, who was approximately 18 months old at the time, lying on his stomach while reading a board book. In that case it was one of the classic Eric Carle books in board book form, but it was the format of the book and not necessarily its content that captivated our child. The only constant about board books are their thick pages, which is just a defense mechanism against teething small creatures. Tell Me About Space is a board book, but it has more in common with the STEM-based books that we’ve previously talked about than the Carle book that our child was gnawing on.

Tell Me About Space is the smart, STEM board book that wanted read to you when you were two-years old.

Smart board books are great for us all

The Tale of Despereaux has a reason to celebrate its 20th Anniversary

Why should books celebrate their anniversary? Every book is not worthy of celebrating its initial publishing date. The mere passage of time doesn’t make most books better; however, in some cases, it can celebrate their timelessness. Originally published in 2003 The Tale of Despereaux has a newly available Deluxe Anniversary Edition available now. There’s nothing magical that makes twenty years special, it’s the fact that The Tale of Despereaux crackles as kidlit. Moreover, it’s written and presented in a manner that makes those mid-elementary school students want to read it.

The Tale of Despereaux turns 20 and celebrates with a new short story and a chance to introduce this modern classic to kids who didn’t know.

Don’t call it a comeback, this book has always been a classic

The Real Story is a very funny illustrated book on intentional tall tales

You can tell the children’s authors or illustrators that can inhabit the soul of their books. It’s those books or characters that ooze effortless charm. They can jump into the psyche of their young audience and create a book they, themselves, would want to read if they could travel back in time. They are the books that all but read themselves to young audiences. Sergio Ruzzier creates children’s illustrated books that saddle up to emerging readers in the most charming of ways. Initially, his illustrations might seem like a rip-off because you’ll feel as if you’ve seen them before. However, such is the nature of a timeless creation that’s so utterly comfortable with its audience. The Real Story is one of those examples in that its characters; even from looking at them on the book’s cover feel like they’re having a conversation that a three through eight-year-old might be having.

The Real Story is a sublime illustrated book that uses its intelligence and creativity to be funny, really laugh-out-loud funny for ages three and up.

This book is an instant classic yo

There’s Something in the Barn, horror fare that serves two masters

The line between peanut butter and chocolate mixture is a fine one, isn’t it? I try to make chocolate, and peanut butter pretzels every December, and while edible, they always fall short of how perfect they should taste. Christmas horror films are like my erstwhile Reese’s concoction too; if there’s too much horror and gore then it will limit its audience, but if it aims for the funnier route then the jokes have to hit. There’s Something in the Barn has a great premise and nails the first hour; but then, akin to the cake that’s risen well up until the end, it falls just a bit flat.

There’s Something in the Barn has a great premise and will satiate holiday horror fans at a base level, but leave them wanting more.

It’s enjoyable, but we wanted more

Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story, ‘non-fiction’ seasonal “who” dunnit

The rub about a children’s non-fiction illustrated book that’s “inspired by” a real-life happening is that it helps to have some bearing on how much of the story is true. That’s because the audience that you’re reading it to is more than likely to have questions about the characters or a tangential story that they want to share. I was unaware of the true story behind Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story, yet when I finished reading it my first thought was that this seems like it could be a true story. However, thinking like any good attorney does, I’m not prepared to ask a question unless I already know the answer.

Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story is ‘inspired by the true story’ of a tree, its original inhabitant, and what happened when it moved.

Kids will find it cute, but beware the questions…..

The Quest of Danger is the skeleton key for reluctant readers

I know Spy School. That is the go-to mglit book series written by author Stuart Gibbs that makes kids want to read. I knew of the Once Upon A Tim book series that’s also written by him. In the liner notes for all of those books, it lists all the author’s other books, which I had also read, except for that series. The Quest of Danger is book number four in the Once Upon A Tim series and I understand the hype now.

The Quest of Danger is book 4 in the Once Upon A Tim series that is custom made, in a skeleton key manner, for ages 7-14. — The Quest of Danger is the skeleton key for reluctant readers

What fun to read, ages 7 and up will not be able to put it down

Concrete, an illustrated book that’s smarter than you-and that’s OK

There is a point in time when that illustrated book that you read to elementary-aged students has content that you didn’t know. It won’t happen with every illustrated book, but the non-fiction ones especially might bring up facts that you adults didn’t know or realize. In Concrete: From the Ground Up, that point came for me when the book said “Cement is not the same as concrete.” That was on the third page and when I looked back at the first two pages there were also facts that I didn’t know. Concrete is not trying to be a primer on construction for children, it’s that it’s an intelligent book, that’s punctuated with lots of humor and illustrations.

Concrete: From the Ground Up is a children’s illustrated book that takes a fascinating look at the potentially uninteresting world of concrete and what a difference it has made.

Great books can take the seemingly simple and make it interesting

The Bigfoot Queen, well-paced human relationships with a Bigfoot edge

There’s a reason why some books set out to be a trilogy and reasons why readers are reticent to jump into one of the latter entries of them. The Bigfoot Queen by Jennifer Weiner is the third book in a series that subverts one of those expectations and sneaks up on the other. The result of The Bigfoot Queen is mglit that makes you want to read every word so that you can revel in the changes that each of them are discovering.

The Bigfoot Queen is the third and final entry in this mglit series that perfectly melds friendship, discovery, family and Bigfoot. All it needs is pizza.

A reat place to start or a great place to finish