Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever (Toon) [Hardcover]

Jay Lynch (Author), Dean Haspiel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Toon

“Lynch provides classic comic-book repartee in beginning-reader-friendly vocabulary ably matched to Haspiel’s bold images and zippy colors; the highest-quality production supplies good, old fashioned fun and a superhero lesson that packs a wallop.” – Kirkus Reviews
 
Mona and Joey can’t stop fighting! When the Mighty Mojo decides to give his powerful costume to them, these argumentative twins fight so much they rip it in half. Now each one is only half as strong! Can Mo and Jo find a way to combine their powers, fight evil Saw-Jaw and save their town?
 
Two master cartoonists, writer Jay Lynch and artist Dean Haspiel, create a loving, tongue-in-cheek superhero tale where the kids’ biggest battle is just learning to get along.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Mona and Joey are constantly fighting but they both share a love for the superhero Mojo. One day, out of the blue, their mailman reveals that he is actually their revered hero in disguise. Ready to retire, he offers the children his costume, which contains his special powers. The siblings fight over it until they rip it in half, but their mother creatively transforms the pieces into two costumes, each containing one of Mojo's powers. When the town parade is threatened, the children must learn to work together, becoming the team Mojo. The dynamic cartoon art successfully conveys the excitement and action of the plot, and children will love the simple graphic format. However, though young readers will probably be drawn into the narrative by the dynamic artwork, some of the text might be difficult for them to decode. Also, the siblings' bickering is grating, making the characters somewhat unappealing, and the central message that the children need to work together is a bit heavy-handed.–Mari Pongkhamsing, St. Perpetua School, Lafayette, CA
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From Booklist

This book from the TOON imprint, which introduces beginning readers to graphic novels, follows the daring exploits of squabbling brother and sister Jo and Mo. After they inherit, and split, the suit worn by their idol, the superhero Mojo, they use their newfound powers to foil the plans of the dastardly villain Saw-Jaw. The text is peppered with puns and some clever idiom work, reinforced by repetition as well as what’s happening in the clean panels and art. The fairly sophisticated wordplay will likely stretch the comprehension level of some readers but will gently introduce them to the idea that words can and often do become quite different according to context, all the while wowing them with the junior superhero action of the twins’ short adventure. The sibling rivalry, which resolves itself when they realize that they can only succeed by working together, will be familiar to all the brothers and sisters who clash over anything and everything, just for the sake of argument. Grades K-2. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Toon Books (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979923859
• ISBN-13: 978-0979923852
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.4 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #938,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book your children will love!, July 9, 2008

By 

Martha Kaelin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever (Toon) (Hardcover)

For a mom of three, I understand the ins and outs of sibling rivalry-- and this wonderful toon-book puts a delightful spin on the tired subject. The story combines the everyday arguments of a brother and sister and the not-so-everyday adventures of super heros. The result is something they can really relate to and want to read over and over!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enticing Book Holds Reluctant Reader's Interest, April 18, 2009

By 

Nicola Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever (Toon) (Hardcover)

Toon Books are a new set of graphic novels aimed at the emerging reader. They are written and illustrated by professional artists/authors and are wildly intriguing for the young reader. My son who is reading at a Gr. 2 level enjoyed these immensely. The three I am reviewing are the second and latest set (Aug. 2008) to be released.

Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever by Dean Haspiel & Jay Lynch is again for the more experienced reader, divided into chapters and is the highest reading level of the lot, approx Gr.2-3. My struggling reader had some difficulties with the vocabulary but with a little help from Mum and Dad he was eager to read the super hero story. With both a girl and boy character this should appeal to both, though I think boys are going to love this one for sure. Every boy's dream of becoming a superhero comes true when Mo and Jo's mailman comes to their house and admits that he is the Mighty Mojo but he is retiring and would like to give them his costume which contains his powers.

As a parent I was thrilled with these enticing books that held my reluctant reader's interest and kept him reading page after page without any pressure from mum or dad to just try and read one more page. In fact we all liked them so much I've ordered the first three for Christmas presents this year and look forward to the next books that will published next year. These 'early readers' are a fabulous use of the graphic novel format.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mo And Jo - great reading, April 17, 2009

By 

R. Bruton "Richard Bruton" (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever (Toon) (Hardcover)

This is one of the most advanced of the Toon Books catalogue, both in concept and language. It's also the one most grounded in standard superhero ideas. But it's going to be immediately familiar to the younger readers it's aimed at, since, whether they've seen the movie, they've all seen something of the Incredibles and every child has some fundamental understanding of the idea of a superhero. Likewise, pretty much every child, even a singleton like mine, knows all about sibling rivalry.

Mo and Jo are Monica and Joey, twins who just can't stop arguing. But one day, their mailman turns up with a surprise and a secret: He's The Mighty Mojo and has decided to give one of them his costume; the source of his incredible powers.

The Mighty Mojo may be a powerful superhero but he obviously knows nothing about these argumentative twins. A huge fight breaks out over the costume and inevitably it ends up in ripped in half. But Mom comes to the rescue (as Moms always do) and turns those two halves into two separate costumes and the latest superhero team of Mo and Jo is born, each with half the powers of the Mighty Mojo.

Unfortunately Mo and Jo seem more concerned with fighting each other than rescuing the city from the evil Saw-Jaw. Can they find a way to put aside their differences in time to save the day?

What do you think? Of course they can! The fun of Mo and Jo isn't in the unsurprising ending, it's about the enormous fun that's had along the way. The bickering and fighting as the twins try to out-do each other is priceless. It's a funny, fast paced adventure with a lovingly realised pair of heroes. Lynch writes the bickering twosome really well and Haspiel's art is suitably superhero-ish whilst never failing to get over the fun story.