Flying Eye Books | Daddy Mojo

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child, retro/modern charming graphic novel magic

Fables get a bad rap with upper elementary and middle school students. I taught a class to ESL students that were comprised mostly of fables, you know, those stories that teach lessons. And if there’s one thing that some kids that age don’t want, it’s a lesson. Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is not a fable. It’s also not a fairy tale and not entirely a folktale either. To some readers, Alcatoe could have elements of all of those things, but for us it’s a beautifully paced book about kids, a grumpy witch, the quaint town they live in, and magic.

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is a graphic novel with a timeless vibe, a slightly evil undercurrent and an irrepressibly quirky demeanor.

Don’t call it a folk story, unless you want to

Orchestra, a love letter to the symphonic for elementary school

Orchestra is a massive, over sized book by Avalon Nuovo with illustrations by David Doran. This is a richly illustrated book that feels at home in any elementary school library, classroom or wherever music is a language that’s practiced. My knowledge on orchestra is limited and that’s being kind. However, I’m a huge fan of books by Flying Eye Books. They produce high quality books that stretch the imagination or have one of their toes in the STEM pool.

A must for the music curious, with great art and thorough elementary aged info

Astro Cat goes board book in Cosmic Machines and Into The Unknown

The Astro Cat series is brilliant. They present high concept STEM ideas into graphically pleasing books that make you want to learn. Dr. Dominic Walliman provides the science and Ben Newman presents the illustrations that make the content effortless to look at. Walliman’s text breaks down the complex ideas that could potentially spin our heads and presents it in a manner that’s appropriate for children. Astro Kittens is the board book series from this duo. Cosmic Machines and Into The Unknown take the same concept in Astro Cats and package it in a way that crawlers can consume.

Astro Kittens is the board book series featuring the go-to art and education by Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman, this time for even younger kids.

If you’re looking for smart board books for young babies, this is where to start