Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever (Toon Books) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dean Haspiel (Author)

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 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Raw Junior, LLC; illustrated edition edition (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979923859
• ISBN-13: 978-0979923852
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too, November 22, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Joey and Mona are typical siblings. They argue - a lot. They fight over the video game controller - a lot. They make fun of each other - a lot.

There's one thing they can agree on, though. Mighty MoJo is the most awesome superhero ever. And when they discover the secret behind MoJo's identity, and are given his superpowers to fight evil, you'd think the arguing between Joey and Mona would stop.

But it doesn't, until they realize they'll have to work together to use MoJo's powers to protect the world.

MO AND JO: FIGHTING TOGETHER FOREVER is the perfect book to introduce children to comics and graphic novels. My daughter, who is almost eight, loves the format of these types of books, but since they're usually written for older teens, the content isn't always appropriate. This one was perfect for her, and, as the younger sister of a nearly-teen brother, she could perfectly relate to the storyline, as well.

A great book with wonderful, full-color illustrations, you don't want to miss this one!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

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 (REAL NAME)

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	N. Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.