December 1, 2017
In this companion to Geisel Award-winning Don't Throw It to Mo! (2015), it's basketball season for small and mighty Mo Jackson, who must practice, practice, and practice before the big game. Everyone on the team is taller than the little black boy, and he's struggling to make sure his passes reach their hands. Coach Emma tries to help, but it's not coming easy. "I have to practice passing," Mo tells his dad on the walk home after practice. The big game is Saturday, and Mo's mom prepares him with a big breakfast. Mo and teammate Eve watch from the bench until Eve enters after halftime. The score remains close deep into the second half. Mo will finally have his chance, as his teammate Gail needs to get a rest. "Go in" Coach says, and everyone waits to see if Mo can do what he's been practicing all week. He's quickly backed into a crunch, with the overpowering adversary Big Max blocking his way. "Here goes," Max says as the book races to a surprising finish. The cartoon-styled, detailed illustrations allow emerging readers to follow the developing plot and make predictions using essential character context clues, while an ethnically diverse set of characters and equally diverse array of youth body types found within the story make for a well-rounded portrait of today's readers. Mo's mom and dad are both black, and Coach Emma is both brown-skinned and a woman. Executed well and fun to read, this is a great addition to an already acclaimed series. (Early reader. 4-7)
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January 1, 2018
POPPreS-Gr 2-The newest title about the protagonist of Don't Throw It to Mo! and Get a Hit, Mo! is all about basketball. Mo is the shortest player on the Bees basketball team, but he has big dreams. He practices passing all the time ("'throw it higher, ' Coach Emma tells him")-at school, at home, even with blueberries into his cereal bowl. When the Bees play the Ducks, Mo is benched for most of the game but gets to come in at the end, when the score is tied. When Mo finally gets the ball, he passes it high-so high that he actually makes a basket and wins the game! The story ends with Coach Emma playfully telling him "it was a very bad pass. But your bad pass won the game." This charming story has many funny and relatable moments for sports lovers and underdogs, and shows the power of practicing and having the support of family, caring adults, teammates, and friends. There is a great deal of diversity featured in the illustrations-Mo and his family are African American, both basketball teams are coed, and the characters are majority people of color. The spot and full-page illustrations are simple, but with great character expression and movement. VERDICT Another enjoyable "Mo" sports story for beginning readers.-Jenny Berggren, Longfellow Middle School, Berkeley, CA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2018
In his third easy reader (Don't Throw It to Mo!; Get a Hit, Mo!), Mo has a new sports obsession: basketball. Diminutive Mo struggles to connect (literally) with his teammates when passing the ball; with extra practice and encouragement, he shines when his team needs him the most. Intentionally repetitive sentences, engaging illustrations, and a large typeface make the humorous story comprehensible for new readers.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
May 1, 2018
In this third Mo Jackson easy reader (Geisel Award-winner Don't Throw It to Mo!; Get a Hit, Mo!), Mo has found a new sports obsession. The ever-enthusiastic boy has basketball on the brain both at home and at school. Unfortunately, being the shortest player on his team leads to Mo struggling to connect (literally) with his teammates when passing the basketball. At practice Coach Emma says, ?Mo, pass the ball.' Mo passes it to Gail. It hits her knee and bounces away. After some extra practice with dad and some blueberries-into-cereal-bowl shooting at breakfast, it's time for the big game. A diverse cast of helpful and encouraging adults and teammates are all on hand as Mo makes the most of his limited time on the court and shines when his team needs him the most: all his practice passing higher pays off. The ending is unlikely to surprise fans of this always-funny and often-endearing series, but that won't stop them from reading and rereading this welcome addition to the easy-reader shelves. Repetitive sentences, ample white space, and a large typeface help make Adler's humorous text comprehensible for new readers, while the inclusion of picture clues within Ricks's engaging illustrations aids readers in deciphering difficult-to-decode words such as cereal and whistle. eric carpenter
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)