Children's book reviews, all age comic books, Kidlit, mglit, movies, entertainment and parenting
Author: Daddy Mojo
Daddy Mojo is a blog written by Trey Burley, a stay at home dad, fanboy, husband and father. At Daddy Mojo we'll chat about home improvement, giveaways, family, children and poop culture. You can find out more about us at http://about.me/TreyBurley
I have an unofficial rule in that I don’t see biographies.
If it’s the true story of someone’s life and I’ve heard about it, then there’s
really no reason to see the film. I know how it ends and it’s probably just
some actor’s hammy performance of how they think that this person did things. I
sound like the bitter and jaded reporter in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
This is not a biopic, it’s not the story of Fred Rogers’ life and how he came
to create & produce one of the most impactful shows ever on television.
Paint By Sticker Kids Christmas is the latest in the best selling activity series that’s been entertaining our kids for years. The concept behind these books is very simple. There’s a sheet that has a couple dozen stickers on it. Beneath each sticker is a number that corresponds to a number that’s within a blank space in the final image. Young mosaic artists will put the stickers in the picture one at a time until the final image is revealed.
Write, craft, play. That’s the backdrop to The Kids’ Book of Paper Love by Irene Smit & Astrid Van Der Hulst. For kids of a certain age this will be a creative cul de sac where they’ll be able to spend hours playing, dreaming and enjoying the love of paper. From the moment you pick up the book it’s obvious that there are details upon details lovingly crammed into every corner of every page. It’s thick, compact and just like those collector stamps at the post office, meant to be used.
A couple of years ago Ashley Bryan’s artwork made a stop at High Museum of Art. It was our first introduction into the way he told stories. It’s a way that speaks to children, as well as adults. Bryan is also a children’s author and his art made reference to the fact that he served in WWII. Infinite Hope, A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace is a thorough written look at his time in the military, as well as the art that he created while serving in various locales.
I love to learn about people that I haven’t previously heard of, especially if it involves travel, discovery, science or animals. The Incredible Yet True Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt, The Greatest Inventor-Naturalist-Scientist-Explorer Who Ever Lived easily has the longest book title of anything we’ve ever read. It also perfectly baits your imagination by asking you to align why you’ve (or at least I) never heard of him and the chutzpah that author, Volker Mehnert had in titling the book that. It turns out that Alexander von Humboldt indeed did have a magical life. In the 1820’s in Germany he was the rock star storyteller who spoke to sold out crowds that included all walks of life as he recounted his stories about travelling to those far-away places.
It’s a great week for all age comic books. The 500 pound
gorilla in kidlit arrives with its latest installment. While Diary of a Wimpy
Kid Wrecking Ball is not a comic book, it’s such a big deal for elementary and
middle school readers it merits mentioning here. Those ages won’t care about
the plot, they’ll just want new adventures from the Heffley family. There are
also some great releases from Marvel Action on IDW Publishing, a massive 100
page release from Teen Titans Go! and more.
Hitting DVD on November 5 is Fast & Furious Presents:
Hobbs & Shaw. This brings fan favorites from Fast & Furious, Hobbs, the
take-no-guff policeman and Deckard Shaw, the best baddie in the series, and puts
them in their own film. In Hobbs & Shaw they’re forced to team up to take
down a cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton Lorr, played by Idris Elba.
As if the cast couldn’t get any cooler, toss in Vanessa Kirby who plays Shaw’s
sister. You’ll recognize Kirby from Mission Impossible: Fallout and The Crown.
She steals scenes in everything she’s in.
Hobbs & Shaw is rated PG-13 for prolonged action
sequences, suggestive material and some strong language. If you’re looking for
a fast paced, action film that delivers on what you think it should this is it.
It’s got an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A-“ on CinemaScore. Bonus:
this combo pack of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw has 80 minutes
of never-before-seen bonus content, an alternate ending, making-of, bloopers
and more.
We’re giving away five (5) copies of Blu-Ray DVD Combo Packs of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. This giveaway will end Saturday, November 9 at 7PM. To register to win, just leave a comment here in the post or RT this:
Matthew Van Fleet’s books have a way of transcending their audience. He makes books that are squarely aimed at preschool aged students as a way of teaching them some of the basics such as shapes, months, counting, senses and more. The reason that his books are memorable is because of his art and the story that they tell. Oscar the Octopus, A Book About the Months of the Year was previously titled October the Octopus and released as a huggable concept or puppet book.
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