Daddy Mojo

The Music Inside Us, a look at the life of Yo-Yo Ma, with takeaways for all

As a younger man I was always skeptical of biographical movies because you always know how they end. Since then, my thoughts on entertainment have evolved somewhat as to what makes a movie entertaining. That same qualifier has never existed for books, even when it came to children’s literature. The Music Inside Us is the story of world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma. It’s a safe bet most elementary school ages don’t know Yo-Yo Ma, much less what a cello is or can isolate its deep, soul searching sounds were they to hear it. As an illustrated book, The Music Inside Us is not a typical biography. Instead, it opens the book by asking a question about the purpose of music. This soft introduction works in partnership with the art that is realistic, painted, and muted in all the right ways.

The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma & His Gifts to the World is the life story of the world’s most famous cellist, but has life applications for those who are a prodigy.

The life story of Yo-Yo Ma, but with a takeaway for everyone

Letters to Misty is a ballet-centric, self-help Q & A for girls aged 8-12

If you are an elementary school aged girl, or otherwise that age and in ballet, Letters to Misty is your jam. From its soft pink and purple cover to the lovely ballet dancer on the cover this book knows its target audience. This is self-help for those young people (mainly girls) who are navigating soft social skills and personal interactions that have the potential to vex people of any age. It might be helpful if you know that Letters to Misty is written by Misty Copeland with Nikki Shannon Smith, but it’s not mandatory.

Letters to Misty features letters from kids to ballet dancer Misty Copeland about a variety of issues concerning ages eight through twelve.

Deeply Dave: A fabulous, unusual graphic novel adventure

You have never read any book, much less a graphic novel, like Deeply Dave. It is a graphic novel, but it operates in such a unique fashion that it’s like comparing an apple to an orange. The two have one thing in common, but they are so utterly different that it does one of them a major disservice to group them close to one another. Deeply Dave is a graphic novel about a boy whose mother goes missing. She was in a spaceship, but it crashed in the bottom of the sea, and now Dave is going out there to rescue her. That’s the very basic plot, but you can throw out any ideas or preconceived notions as to how you think the story will evolve. The plot changes every five pages, with new characters, powers, locations, or secrets being disclosed that alter how others react to the Big Doom, and that is before the book’s format is taken in account.

Deeply Dave is a graphic novel that’s one of the most creative, unique and fun that we’ve read in years. It’s creative, smart and perfect for curious kids eight and up.

This graphic novel is so much fun to read

Fantastic Four: First Steps, a fun film in a course correction for the MCU

The Fantastic Four: First Steps was not a film that I was looking forward to seeing. Granted, I knew that I’d see it, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it or be entertained. Of the past 13 MCU films, I’d only seen eight of them and from that figure only three of those favorably stuck in my memory. I’m not alone in those thoughts, and if anything, my scale was tilted in Marvel’s favor. Factor all of that into the fourth attempt to get Fantastic Four off of the ground and here we are. But, here’s the thing about Fantastic Four: First Steps: it has a lot in common with Superman and a kaiju film, which is an unlikely combination that adds up to a very enjoyable movie.

Come back in, the water’s fine.

Exploring Grief and Growth in Loon Cove Summer

Donna Galanti’s books have inadvertently been on vacation with us twice now. The first was an emerging reading chapter book about unicorns. As a point of reference, I read Unicorn Island and found it to be mixed in with enough action and mystery to latch in kids, but mainly girls, aged eight and up. Loon Cove Summer snuck in our beach bag this year and mainly hammers that audience, but with one big difference.

Resistance is futile

A Review of Almost Sunset: A Unique Take on Ramadan in a graphic novel

Hassan is a typical teenager in many ways. Almost Sunset is a graphic novel that follows him during that one month of the year when he’s not typical, and that’s the period of Ramadan. He’s a teen whose family respects the traditions of Ramadan and all of the sacrifices and inconveniences that accompany it. This is a graphic novel that’s not about religion, but is about the people and families that follow it. It touches on the practices of Islam, but doesn’t espouse or preach its beliefs.

Almost Sunset: A Graphic Novel takes a light hearted look at a teen during Ramadan and how it’s dealt with life’s other issues.

A teen graphic novel by any other name

Our Cosmos, an approachable big-picture space book for elementary ages

A reference book is too wonky. A book with illustrations can be too kid-ish. If it looks too much like a Nat Geo books those who are immune to its charms will run like a vampire nearing daylight. Is there a cartoon in it? The middle school kids who see anything remotely associated with elementary school will tune out. Our Cosmos: The Complete Guide to Space for Kids is built for some of those upper-elementary ages. Those who will get the most out of the book are middle school kids who are curious about space, but might just be a little reluctant in learning about it.

Our Cosmos: The Complete Guide for Space to Kids is big-picture thinking presented in nuggets of information for elementary ages.

Space, the cosmos by another name, can be fun to learn about

Superman review: Balancing Humor and Action

Superman is a James Gunn film. Gunn has a style that audiences are accustomed to, but can also be wary of in a manner that is similar to Tim Burton. It’s a lion that has to be contained somewhat, or it’s too familiar, over the top and can become a cliché of itself. Superman for new audiences that are post-Snyder, in the “not my Superman” camp or never got past Christopher Reeve will be their own obstacle. All of that tossed into the mix and James Gunn still wrote and directed a fun movie that succeeds on many levels through the various film lenses one could view it from.

Superman is a solid film that’s as fun as you want it to be. There are character weaknesses, but if you just check the ‘relax’ button when you go in you’ll have a blast.

It’s better than you think it is and not only for fanboys