Daddy Mojo

Little Shaq Takes a Chance, and misses

I saw Shaquille O’Neal’s social media manager speak once. Even prior to that, Shaq was someone who I respected and admired from many perspectives. His philanthropic work with The Boys and Girls Club and the way that he handled his professional career is one that athletes should aspire to. Her speech about working for him only solidified my opinion of him. That’s why it’s such a let down that his second children’s book, Little Shaq Takes a Chance doesn’t measure up to what it could be.

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Here is the Jason Bourne trailer

The first Bourne film was released in 2002. That was back when dystopian teen films about the end of the world; pretty vampires and Paul Blart weren’t even in development. The new Jason Bourne trailer is out and it’s simply titled Jason Bourne. Watching this reminds movie fans that The Bourne Identity was arguably the first American film the capture the kinetic, tight action sequences that are seemingly mandatory in today’s movies.

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Gator Dad by Brian Lies, the dad’s honest truth book review

You don’t have to be a University of Florida fan to like Gator Dad. Gator Dad is just that, an alligator dad and this is a charming, warm book that’ll serve as a great good-night story for kids 1-7.

The book is written by Brian Lies, who readers might recognize from his “Bats” series of books and his art style. In the 90’s Lies was a stay at home dad. That’s OG-SAHD, if we can create a trending acronym. Lies’ time with his daughter can be felt in the pages of Gator Dad. It’s simple, yet has the minute details and sublime adventures that a parent can experience during the day.

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New all age comics for April 20, 2016

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It’s just two weeks before Free Comic Book Day and many of the titles out this week will have free versions available on May 7. One of the best books in all age comics comes out this week; Lumberjanes #25 is great for girls or boys, with a balance of science fiction, friendship and humor. Also out in humor for all age comics is Grumpy Cat & Pokey, a new ongoing series by Over the Garden Wall, Simpsons Comics #228, a trade paperback from Peanuts and more.

In science fiction/action comics there is a great comic targeted at the reluctant 9 year old reader. Another Castle is a mini-series from Oni Press that combines fantasy, action, monsters and the insecurities about growing up. Back to the Future #7 is a great example of how to take the story from a well known movie and continue it into the world of comics. This is a fun series that any age will enjoy, but does have vocabulary that might be too big for 6 year olds. For tween fans of mutant monsters Godzilla Oblivion (#2 of 5) comes out, as does Welcome to Showside from Z2 comics.

Plants Vs. Zombies #10 is one of our comics of the week. This series is so much for kids 7 and up. Our 6 year old has not ‘embraced’ zombie culture, but he likes this book. As a parent I thought that any form of zombie to a kid that age would scare him. I was wrong. This comic is lots of fun, with countless moments of humor, comical zombie villains and humans who always end up on top.

For old school fans or entry fans who like trading cards, Star Wars Original Topps Trading Cards Vol 2 Empire Strikes Back comes out in book form. These were the jam when they came out, now in book form.

Where is my closest comic book store? What is Free Comic Book Day? How can I listen to the podcast for all of this craziness?

Humor

Science fiction/action

Superheroes

Paint By Sticker KIDS, great, go-to crafting for kids 5 and up

Our 4 year old is our crafty kid. Our 6 year old is our puzzle kid. Obviously, their roles are not set in stone, but by in large, that is what they prefer. As a parent, that’s why it was surprising to me that our oldest gravitated towards Paint By Sticker KIDS, a combination craft book that uses a little precision. This is a new book by Workman Publishing that lets kids create their own works of art using stickers.

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The Fintastic Fishsitter-a young reader’s guide to Zombie Goldfish

Our 6 year old likes reading My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish. More accurately, he likes having it read to him-and then spending some time alone with the book so that he can read it at his own pace. The concept of a zombie goldfish who can hypnotize anything with his eyes, a vampire kitten named Fang, two young boys and their respective tween brothers is the stuff of young reader dreams. The Fintastic Fishsitter is the tale of Sami, Pradeep’s little sister who is helping him and Tom by fishsitting Frankie, the zombie goldfish. This is also more of a picture book, with very few words, full color illustrations and the same evil kitten, villainous brother, madcap story that is designed for kids that have not yet graduated to reading on their own or chapter books.

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Tumble Trax, from Learning Resources, magnetic marble review

Go to any children’s museum and they’re likely to have some sort of steel plate on the wall with magnetic running boards for balls or marbles. Tumble Trax from Learning Resources is essentially the same version of those, just scaled down slightly for players at home. This is an activity that can keep kids engaged for hours, watching the marbles fall prey to gravity before being captured by magnetic boards.

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Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises review

Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises is an improbably comic book to love. It takes a kinetic art form, martial arts, and attempts to reproduce that in a 2D medium. Additionally, its title character was killed in the early 70’s and this comic book takes place in 2012. How could a fun and engaging story about Bruce Lee occur when it takes place decades after his death? We were first introduced to the comic as part of Free Comic Book Day. Darby Pop Publishing has a portion of the first issue out as an issue on FCBD on May 7. That sneak preview led us to get the first issue of Bruce Lee and it is fabulous, fun and entirely appropriate for all ages.

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