Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever: Toon Books Level 3 - Hardcover

Dean Haspiel, who drew Mo and Jo, used to read Fantastic Four and Shazam! when he was a kid. He admits that he used to fight with his brother all the time, too: All siblings have a healthy rivalry, and so did we.” Dean has illustrated Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon’s The Escapist and drawn superheroes for Marvel and DC Comics. He has created his own comic character, Billy Dogma, and is the founder of the webcomic collective ACT-I-VATE. If he could have any superpower, he’d like to fly, because that would just be cool!”

Jay Lynch, who wrote Mo and Jo’s story, loved to read funny superhero comics like Plastic Man when he was a kid. When he wasn’t reading comic books, he would draw his own cartoon characters on the sidewalk in front of his house then hide in the bushes to hear what other kids had to say about his drawings! Jay grew up to become a legendary cartoonist and has helped create many popular humor products, including Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. If he could have any superpower, he’d like to know what color something is just by touching it.

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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