From School Library Journal
Grade 3–5—These titles in a best-selling Chinese series prove that boys getting into trouble is a universal experience. Mo Shen Ma is a typical kid who pals around with his friends, tangles with his teacher, likes girls (sort of), and tries to do the right thing (most of the time). The text is fast paced and child-friendly, and Mo's foibles ring true for a well-meaning yet mischievous boy. For example, he tries to get his friend Penguin to change seats with him in class because Man Man, the girl who sits next to him, is always tattling on him. Unfortunately, his plan backfires. And when Mo's mother buys a piano because children who play are "more likely to do well in life," Mo puts up a "for sale" sign and tries to get rid of it. As popular as Mo is in China, there are still cultural aspects in these books that are likely to mystify American audiences, such as having the children show how much they care about their parents by washing their feet. Still, these characters are well drawn and full of personality, and kids will probably overlook whatever seems strange to them in an effort to find out what Mo and his friends are going to do next. Black-and-white spot art appears throughout.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
