Daddy Mojo, Author at Daddy Mojo

Nana Loves You More, sub-par illustrated pre-k with great sales numbers

Was it not for the author’s name of Nana Loves You More, very few people outside of those who already have the first three books in the series, would be talking about it? Having said that, it merits the question, if Jimmy Fallon hadn’t written Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada, would the others in the series have ever been written? It’s a case of which came first the chicken or the egg? In this case one could also factor in if Nana Loves You More gets more children to read because of its prominent placement in stores across the country, does it really matter?

Nana Loves You More is the fourth in the Jimmy Fallon series that could easily be driven more out of obligation and sales than a yearning to tell a story.

This might not the nana book you’re looking for

Kick Push, an illustrated book that runs with enthusiasm to kids 6 and up

A book that reaches out and grabs the nape of your neck is a rare thing. It’s not something that you’re expecting as it slams your senses, wakes up your eyes, and takes you on a trip to a place that you’ve never been before. Kick Push is an illustrated book that lovingly yells at you until you pay attention. At first, it seems like that manic, out-of-control student whose only goal is to distract the teacher from the lesson of the day. But then, after you spend a couple of pages with Kick Push you realize that it’s a picture book that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before and will challenge you in all the right ways.

Kick Push is an illustrated book that screams at just the right volume. It grabs readers’ attention, makes them curious and entertains, all while teaching a lesson.

Kinetic action in a book that teaches a lesson

The Secrets of Dumbledore, entertaining but mainly for Potterhead faithful

It was a dark, cool movie theater and I dozed off for just a second. However, it was during that second that my son’s friend poked me in the arm. “A muggle is someone who doesn’t have any magic, like a regular person”, he said. “Thank you, that much I knew about the series”, was my reply. He was just being kind because on the way to the movie theatre I told him that I’d only seen one Harry Potter film, hadn’t read any of the books, and had seen the first Fantastic Beasts film way back in 2016. This opened up a universe worth of ways for him to illustrate how great the books are and why each film in the cannon matters. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third film in the series of five and, based on his opinion, will build upon how much that audience reveres these characters.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is an entertaining movie, but will really please the Potterhead faithful.

C’mon in, the water’s fine Hogwartians

A Penny’s Worth, a kid’s look at money that most wish was history

The other day our youngest son wanted to cash in all of his coins for paper money. His pirate treasure chest was loaded with jangles and clinks from various coins bouncing together. I explained to him that if he goes to one of the machines that count it for him he’ll be charged, whereas if he counts it himself and goes to the bank, he’ll get all of the money. Of course, being 10 years old and wanting to see a machine do things, he opted for the first choice. A Penny’s Worth is an illustrated book that one hopes will be a historical relic within 10 years. A book on a penny, how quaint, remember when we had that copper-colored useless coin, we’ll all sit back and think. If there’s any justice in the world, A Penny’s Worth will sit alongside the book about Daylight Saving Time as things or concepts that once existed.

A Penny’s Worth is a charming, rhyming, illustrated book for early elementary readers about money in the United States and its smallest, most useless increment.

A penny saved is two pennies that it cost to do so

Tales of Ancient Worlds, fun history in an archeology wrapper

People of a certain age will credit or blame Indiana Jones for their interest in archeology. For me, I am somewhere in-between the two. Archeology is a subject that I toyed with in college, played with after graduation, and have it littered about in my house. It’s based on that background that I was incredibly surprised by how immersive and varied Tales of Ancient Worlds, Adventures in Archeology was. It’s an illustrated book that’s meant for mid-elementary students but has the breadth on some level to add content to papers or conversations for those much older.

Tales of Ancient Worlds is short, non-fiction blurbs that elementary kids need, in a package that they can handle and want to read.

History wonks unite, gateway for elementary-aged archeologists!

Sports Heroes, illustrated book on athletes breaking barriers for 8 and up

The style of art that’s used in Sports Heroes is the type that makes elementary-aged readers effortlessly flock to it. The lines are crisp, its edges are sharp, it’s loaded with contrasting colors, the shapes are absurd-but not too silly, and everything has a retro look that’s at home for Mad Men or today’s eight-year-olds. What elementary-aged readers, as well as some middle school readers will come to terms with when they look through Sports Heroes, Inspiring Tales of Athletes Who Stood Up and Stood Out; is that sports-and a variety of them can bring about the best in people.

Sports Heroes is an illustrated book on athletes who defied their sport or the times surrounding them. It’s great for readers aged 8 and up.

(brief) Stories that kids don’t know, but want to read, they just don’t know it yet

Hardcourt, the sweet spot of making kids want to read with art and sports

“Do you know Trae Young?” I get that a lot at school. And no, elementary school students- a person with an uncommon first name does not necessarily know all other people with that same name. However, the fact that most any kid in an elementary school knows that sports figure speaks leagues about the popularity of the NBA. Hardcourt is by Fred Bowen with illustrations by James E. Ransome. They’re the same duo that produced Gridiron, an oversized book that’s this one’s sibling in the best of all possible ways.

Hardcourt is a must-own for any elementary age fan of basketball. It’s approachable and tells stories from the first 75 years of the game that will hook readers eight and up.

Smart, approachable, and one that grades 4 and up want to drive into

Rescuing Titanic, an illustrated book look at the RMS Carpathia

Often times the story that’s behind the story is as interesting and sometimes more interesting than the main one. Rescuing Titanic, A True Story of Quiet Bravery in the North Atlantic is an illustrated book that takes the line and runs with it. It’s an oversized, illustrated book that looks at the story that third graders and up to know about, but examines the after-effects and how they were dealt with.

Rescuing Titanic is the story behind the story about its sinking and subsequent rescue mission by the RMS Carpathia, great for middle elementary readers.

Mid to upper elementary readers will love this story, behind the story