The graphic novel "Black Lives: Great Minds of Science" highlights nine scientists, aiming to engage reluctant readers. Its comic-style format presents each scientist's story concisely, fostering an interest in non-fiction. However, the title may limit future volumes, and the small font may present reading challenges. Overall, it's a valuable addition to libraries. The post Black Lives: Celebrating Scientists in Graphic Form appeared first on Daddy Mojo ..read more

It’s ok to have books geared more toward girls than boys. It’s also ok for boys to have books that mainly appeal to them. There are also some books that cross-over to both groups with varying degrees, but could have elements that interest each camp. Bunnybirds is a graphic novel, whose genre is typically associated … The post Bunnybirds fills a graphic novel void that lives in elementary readers appeared first on Daddy Mojo ..read more

I have never eaten a persimmon. It sounds more like an adjective than a fruit to me. The students felt quite persimmon when they realized the difficulty of the test. The Most Perfect Persimmon is an illustrated book that’s a love letter to family, patience, creature comforts and the fleeting search for perfection. That last … The post The Most Perfect Persimmon: A Young Reader’s Delight appeared first on Daddy Mojo ..read more

There is a lot of backstory, making-of-the-sausage talk that complicates Red One even further. Dwayne Johnson’s salary of $50 million, his supposed tardiness (which led to), the massive production cost of $250 million, the film’s streaming conversion to Amazon MGM Studios movie orphan and more are all fascinating to read about. An actor's salary isn’t something that I should be concerned about. As long as they do their job and produce an entertaining product the market will pay them what it can bear. In this case, the bear is turning. The age of the movie star is questionably over and people a ..read more

The graphic novel layout of Gotta Go! provides a lot of the book’s enjoyment. The vast number of panels allows the story to show minute details that don’t require dialogue; but speaks volumes about the characters and the humor the book brings. The color of the characters alternate from silhouette black or orange to their normal, cartoon appearance. This is contrasted nicely with the background that they operate in where it’s the opposite of what color they are now. The book does not live in a contrarian world, it mainly shows them in a relatively traditional vantage point, especially when our ..read more

This illustrated book has shades of each of those descriptions. Which one you identify the most with depends on the young readers in your audience or your life. The illustrations in Penelope’s Balloons are big and command attention. They have a manic sense of happiness early in the book when Penelope is playing with her balloons or has them nearby. They help her when she’s hoping during recess and make her easy to spot when she’s walking around, but she does have to be careful of her anthropomorphic friends with spikes or scales that could otherwise pop them. There is nothing else red in the b ..read more

Volcanoes Are Hot is the book version of short-attention span theater. It effortlessly entertains ages eight and up that had previously, and perhaps unconsciously, sworn off reading anything scientific for the sole purpose of entertainment. Some of those kids might have intentionally said that being the ‘smart one’ wasn’t possible or they simply bought into the fallacy that it’s cool not to be intelligent. This is for them, as well as, the kids who realize that it’s the people who don’t play the fool that will reap the rewards. The joke-to-page ratio is something that we calculate in kidlit bo ..read more

In my ‘artist’ brain, I consider the author notes to be the part of Fantasy Characters & Creatures where Matsuura answers the questions that emerging or curious artists are too shy to ask or don’t have the opportunity. Should I look at reference material? What’s the most important part of hybrid creature design? What if I don’t feel like drawing or designing today? That last question can be key for artists who get anxious when they don’t particularly feel creative or like letting the monsters loose. What does Matsuura do when that thought rears its head? The post Fantasy Characters & C ..read more

Having said that, neither book will be sought out for where it stakes its flag in the intellectual sandbox, nor is it meant to. Both of these books are for the fans. They’re for those reluctant readers who are attracted to either book simply because of the fact that Lebron James or Taylor Swift is on the cover. Those diehard fans will read it word for word, become inspired by their words and try to emulate them as much as possible. Older readers who know more about the stories, or the things unsaid in either book will take the stories with a grain of salt. The post In Their Own Words, Lebron J ..read more

This is a book that kids of a certain age will immediately enjoy. However, those kids who are just a hair older than that demographic won’t like it, will actively deride it as a baby book and try to steer their juvenile friends to more sophisticated fare. If they know, then they know, and kids in early elementary school who want to read experience a smart book about space travel while letting their imagination flow, will know. Kids in first through third grade will enjoy having it read to them. Some fourth graders will and fifth graders will look at the book as something that’s meant for their ..read more