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Read About Comics
September 12, 2008
If there's one thing that kids are good at, it's fighting with siblings. No matter how much or little they may like each other, I'm willing to wager that at some point they've ended up bickering with each other - it's probably some sort of genetic imperative. Jay Lynch and Dean Haspiel certainly had that very much in mind when they created Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever for the Toon Books line; what better conflict can you have with superheroes when it's a duo that are also brother and sister?
Mona and Joey's favorite superhero is the mighty Mojo, with super-stretch arms and has ultra-powerful magnetic boots. When Mojo decides it's time for him to retire, he offers his biggest fans the suit... but the two fighting over who gets to be Mojo end up tearing the suit in half. Now (thanks to their mother's sewing machine) they each have one of Mojo's two powers; Mona can stretch her arms impossibly long, while Joey can us the magnetic boots's abilities. But can Mona and Joey stop fighting long enough to stop the evil Saw-Jaw from ruining the city's parade?
Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever follows a familiar pattern; kids get powers, kids fight with each other, kids learn to work together to stop the bad guy. What makes Mo and Jo's story fun, though, is how well Lynch writes his bickering twosome. Their sibling rivalry is in good form here, each using their new ability to prove why they're the superior of the two. So sure, it's a predictable book in terms of the broad strokes of the plot, but it's that bickering that made it fun for me.
Haspiel's classic square-jawed art is a good match for Lynch's script. It's a clean, easy-to-read art style, and moves briskly across the page. I especially like how Haspiel draws Mona's stretching arms; there's a scene early on where she has them looping around herself as well as Joey and the groups of rings is almost mesmerizing. He does a nice job with the non-super moments as well; the scene of the two of them asleep with prized comic and action figure in each one's arms is especially cute.
Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever is a straight-forward and to-the-point book for younger readers. While they'll see the ending coming, it's the journey in getting there that will no doubt entertain them (as well as adults) a great deal. It's cute and fun, and I think it succeeds in its purpose quite admirably.
—Greg McElhatton
Ain't it Cool
September 3, 2008
This is the third offering from Toon Books I've had the pleasure of reading and I think it's probably my favorite. Not that the other two, STINKY and JACK AND THE BOX weren't great reads, but those books were specifically geared towards kids while this one has that universal feel that one often gets while watching a good Disney or Pixar film. Mo and Jo are siblings and they do not get along. The only thing they agree on is that Mojo is their favorite superhero. When a strange mailman comes knocking on their door to deliver a package, they are given the powers of their favorite hero. I liked the way these two ornery kids fought each other and found themselves in situations many kids will find familiar. Creators Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch have created a pair of super-kids who have problems like any pair of siblings, which makes the story all the more fun. I've said this about the last two Toon Books I reviewed and it applies with this book as well: if you're looking to start kids on comics early, you can't go wrong with Toon Books. Perfect for that story before bedtime and completely kid safe. Recommended for the young and young at heart.
—aintitcool.com
Foreward Magazine
September 2008
Sibling rivalry is an age old theme in children's books. Dean Haspiel and Jay Lynch give it a rousing twist with their cartoon characters, Mo and Jo. Mo and Jo, Fighting Together Forever, combines familiar sibling arguments with bad guys and super heroes to create a book young children will relish.
The story starts with the typical brother and sister who fight over just about everything. Their favorite super hero is Mojo. In the first three pages they discover their mailman; Mister Mojoski is actually the real Mighty Mojo! He retires to Miami and gives his suit and all his powers to the stunned brother and sister.
They fight over the suit and end up tearing it in half. The battle over who has the better power begins. When they face real trouble and try to fight it separately, they learn how much more power they have together.
The full color cover draws attention with Mo and Jo in brightly colored red and yellow super hero costumes. Mo has the upper - very stretched out - hand on her brother Jo. The comic book layout with speech bubbles makes the story easy to follow and keeps the action moving at a quick pace.
Lynch helped create Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. Haspiel illustrated Pulitzer-Prize winning author Michael Chabon's The Escapist.
Children are forever trying to discover who they are and find their own talents. The constant bickering may get tiresome for the adults, but Lynch and Haspiel have tapped into emotions and excitement that are relevant to their desired audience. Their combined enthusiasm for comic book characters helped to create a book with illustration and story depth.
—Troy-Michelle Reinhardt
School Library Journal
September, 2008
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, schoollibraryjournal.com
Mo and Jo: Fighting Together Forever
August 1, 2008
The newest addition to the Toon Book early-reader series presents brother and sister Joey and Mona, who are always fighting. The only thing they agree on is their favorite superhero, the Mighty Mojo. The kids are astonished to learn that the mailman is Mojo in disguise; retiring to Miami, he bequeaths to them the red-and-yellow costume containing their superpowers. When the squabbling siblings rip the costume, Mom sews two costumes from the halves, and now they each have one superpower; Mona's arms stretch and Joey has powerful magnetic boots. Called to action, they must save the star of the parade, the giant inflatable hippo, from the villainous gator-thing Saw Jaw! Still bickering, the siblings almost botch the job until they realize that working a a team is a better way to fight crime. Lynch provides classic comic-book repartee in beginning-reader-friendly vocabulary ably matched to Haspiel's bold images and zippy colors; the high-quality production supplies good, old fashioned fun and a superhero lesson that packs a wallop. (Graphic early reader. 6-9)
—Kirkus Reviews
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