Daddy Mojo

Stinky Spike, early chapter books that boys will sniff out from the pack

We recently reviewed Agnes and Clarabelle, the first books in the Read & Bloom book series from Bloomsbury. They’re early chapter books with basic vocabulary and big illustrations to bring in young readers so that they want to read the books by themselves. That particular series will be more attractive to young girls. Stinky Spike is the next series of books in the Read & Bloom lineup and will be of interest to boys more than girls.

Stinky Spike is not exclusively for boys. I’ll approximate it as an 80/20 boy to girl preference. The first book is Stinky Spike, The Pirate Dog. In this one Spike is a dog that lives by the sea in a busy port with all manner of boats. Spike is known for his nose and his ability to correctly identify (usually horrible) smells. One day while sniffing around the docks he slips and is swept out to sea where he meets up with a band of pirates.

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Win sneak preview passes to Beauty and the Beast in Atlanta, #BeOurGuest

Everything in animation changed with The Little Mermaid. That film started an incredible run on profitability, quality and entertainment that reached beyond the family. With their next film, Beauty and the Beast, the Disney Corporation really hit their stride with a masterpiece of song and storytelling. The live-action Beauty and the Beast is in theaters on March 17 and is one of the most anticipated films of 2017. We’re giving away sneak preview passes to Beauty and the Beast in Atlanta.

This sneak preview of Beauty and the Beast will be on March 13. Winners will be told when the show time is and the exact location. With security and vague details like that one would expect that we’re talking about a Hollywood premier or top secret state meeting. However, such is the demand for these advance sneak preview tickets.

Win a pair of tickets to the Atlanta sneak preview of Beauty and the Beast

The trailer bodes quite well for the film and it looks like it’s reaching people beyond the princess realm. Even when you think back to the original Beauty and the Beast, there was a fair amount of action, lots of comedy and a classic story. The new film evokes that same spirit so much so that both our 5 and 7 year old boys have been clamoring to see the film since they saw its trailer.

6 unexpected gems that you can find on Netflix

Hey, we’re part of the #StreamTeam for Netflix and received compensation for this post. What to watch on Netflix that will shake your viewing comfort zone? We saw six things that we normally wouldn’t watch. They’re all documentaries, four with a historical perspective and two from the world of pop culture. The later two are ok for ages 8 and up from a content perspective, but they might be bored with their pacing. The first four films, either due to content or language are good for ages 12 and up.

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New all age comic books this week

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Happy new comic book day! It happens every Wednesday and included in them are many all age comic books that will be great for ages 5 and up. Comic books that a 5 year old can read? They might need some help ‘reading’ them, but the content will be great for kids and there is at least one of those each week.

Popeye #56 reproduces some of the classic Popeye comics. These are classic comics that will be OK for young readers. They’re simple, packed with spinach, action, boats and bulging biceps. My Little Pony Annual #1 is out and this series really appeals to young kids, especially girls. When our son was 5 he liked this comic book. He aged out of it, but still has a handful of issues in his collection. Young girls, 5 and up will stay interested for many years.

8 year old readers have a couple great all age comic books to choose from. Disney does many things in children’s entertainment well. One thing that I always thought they could do better was book or comic books that originated from their better television shows, specifically Phineas & Ferb and Gravity Falls. Both of those would make great monthly comic books. This week sees a new book from Joe Books, Disney Gravity Falls Cinestory #1 Shorts. This has brand new art and adventures from this very entertaining show that takes place in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Memo to Joe Books or Disney Publishing, a monthly comic from this show and Phineas & Ferb would be welcome.

That age will also like Spookhouse, the graphic novel Time Museum, Adventure Time #62 and more.

Ages 12 and up will want to dive into the True Believers line at Marvel Comics. This week has three-$1 titles that are out to pump up audiences about Logan. That film, Logan is rated R and is in no way OK for kids. However, the X-Men comics are OK for teens and up and Wolverine is a fun, complex character that they’ll want to read. Old Man Logan #1, Wolverine and the X-Men #1 and Wolverine #1 are all reprinted and only $1.

Wolverine, x-men, true believers, all age comic books, comic books, popeye comics, my little pony, Disney, phineas & ferb, gravity falls, spookhouse, marvel comics

The new all age comic books this week bring a new Disney book from Gravity Falls, Spookhouse, Brave Chef Brianna and more. The music in the podcast is from The Polyrythmics, some very funky stuff.

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Superhero

Action/Science fiction

Join the “All-In Burger Debate” at Applebee’s, #Giveaway

Hey, we were compensated for this post. All (tasty) thoughts are our own. Here’s an argument that we all can get behind. It involves Applebee’s, a hamburger that’s stacked high with exotic toppings and it ends with contest where the grand prize winner goes to New York City-where they’ll then be transported to Bristol, Conn to go behind the scenes of the Mike & Mike show, get a tour of ESPN and be their producer for the day. Big prize and it’s simple to enter, just get something from the Applebee’s All-In Burger menu, snap a picture and share it.

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Motofest is the intersection of dirt bike, family friendly entertainment

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I am a Motofest novice. That’s partially due to the fact that it’s never happened before. However, I’m also new to Monster Energy Supercross and AMSOIL Arenacross. For the first time ever those two are competing in the city, at the same venue and over the same weekend. It’s the inaugural Motofest and it’s happening February 24-27 at Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Watching Motofest is what you imagine being an extra during the filming of Fury Road is like. The balletic precision of dirt bikes flying 30 feet in the air, engaging in incredibly tight turns and doing it all at rocket speeds. It’s an unexpectedly beautiful thing to watch.

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Hilo, The Great Big Boom-a funny, go-to graphic novel for ages 7 and up

We’ve been late to good parties before and it’s frustrating. Hilo, The Great Big Boom by Judd Winick is the third book in the Hilo series and I’m just joining this party. Is it an apt metaphor to compare a graphic novel to a party? Let’s define party as having a fun time, smiling when you’re listening to their stories, not wanting it to end and liking the characters who are there with you. Using that, as well as a slightly boarder definition of party, Hilo, The Great Big Boom is something that kids 7 and up will absolutely love.

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The Girl With All The Gifts, an atypical zombie film that thrives

We read a graphic novel like this recently. It was something that I only knew the bare bones about and it succeeded in being wildly entertaining beyond our expectations. It’s not that there were low expectations; we just didn’t know enough about it on purpose. The Girl With All The Gifts is a zombie film like no other. It plays to a few zombie movie tropes while gathering up most of them and (thankfully) throwing them out the window. The result is an utterly original film that simmers at a low boil for a majority of the film, expertly weaving together a taut, disparate vision of the near future.

Suffice it to say that The Girl With All The Gifts is not for children. As a parent, in no way shape or form would I allow a child of mine 16 or under to watch this. It’s rated R for good reason due to language, graphic violence, disturbing images and perilous situations.

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