Mama's Boyz: The Big Picture: What You Need to Succeed! [Paperback]

Jerry Craft (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9 Yusuf Porter, a headstrong black teen interested in little besides his image and having a good time, is visited by four future versions of himself: as an overweight, unhealthy underachiever as an overaged hipster clinging to his outdated youthful style as a distracted, uncaring family man and as an illiterate ex-con. Each visitation is accompanied by a variety of strips that illustrate points about self-esteem and respect for others while gently poking fun at some of the conventions of black culture and the pressures a young man like Yusuf might feel, ranging from baggy pants to sibling rivalry to the potential iconography of President Obama. The book is permeated with a gentle, chiding tone, and the punch lines rarely inspire a raucous reaction. It's hard not to like something so good-natured, and younger readers may enjoy the insouciant charm of the wastrel main character who never seems like he's actually 16 years old, but older readers may find the consistent focus on a message of self-improvement to be patronizing, and the author's running commentary underneath the strips may strike some as condescending. The messages are sound, though, and those looking for a mild moral delivery system that's coupled with some brief inspirational bits about cartooning will find it here. Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Mamas Boyz Inc 2010-01-22 (January 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979613213
• ISBN-13: 978-0979613210
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 3.5) - It's Not Just The Here And Now, September 24, 2010

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama's Boyz: The Big Picture: What You Need to Succeed! (Paperback)

The third book in the Mama's Boyz series by Jerry Craft is MAMA'S BOYZ: THE BIG PICTURE: What You Need to Succeed! In this collection of comic strips, Craft tells a familiar story with a twist. We meet 16-year-old Yusuf, his brother, Tyrell, his family and friends. Yusuf is like most teenagers; only focusing on the here and now, with no thoughts on how his current behavior and decisions will shape his future. His mother tries to guide him and his friends in the right direction but they just don't see the importance of eating healthy, getting exercise or paying attention to their studies. One night, Yusuf makes another bad decision and eats a huge sundae before going to bed. We all know what happens next. He had a fitful night of sleep and a bad dream.

In the dream, he meets some ghosts but they aren't of his past and present. Each of these ghosts is a version of his future self (that's the twist). There is a ghost representing four of many important areas in his life: health, education, family, and appearance. They each take him down the road that his current decisions will lead him.He doesn't take education seriously, but when his "fathom of edjukashun" appears he sees where the lack of education can lead you. He also likes to wear a number 1 on his oversized jersey and his future unhealthy self wears a 100 on his shirt. Is this because he's so big or does the 100 stand for something else? To find out more about the meaning of the number and his meeting with the other ghosts of his future self, you'll have to read the story.

Overall, I enjoyed MAMA'S BOYZ: THE BIG PICTURE: What You Need to Succeed! and I know many children and teens will learn the lesson that they have to look at the big picture when making even the simple decisions in life. Jerry Craft did a great job pointing this out with lighthearted dialogue that wasn't too preachy, especially when it came to baggy clothing and exercise or lack thereof. I also enjoyed the extra tidbits in the book referred to as Crafty comments.

Reviewed by Tawana Price
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers