Kick It, Mo!

August 15, 2018
Continuing his already-beloved Geisel Award-winning series, Adler brings Mo Jackson and the family to the soccer field, where overzealous Mo must hone his skills in order to perform at the big game. Mo Jackson is a small boy who loves sports with all his heart, though he is often smaller, younger, and slower than the other kids on the field. In this outing, he must master kicking if he's going to be a contributor to his team, keeping the soccer ball on the ground instead of allowing it to fly every which way. His mom and dad practice with Mo before the big game, rolling the ball to him again and again, but it's not looking promising. When the game starts, Coach Judy reiterates to Mo and the rest of the kids: "Keep the ball low. Kick it on the ground. Kick it toward the goal." With the game tied late, Mo will get his opportunity to test out his mighty kick he'd been practicing all day. Readers just may be surprised at the result. The easy-to-read large font shares each page with Ricks' energized, cartoonish illustrations. They easily and often humorously support decoding the text. Mo, his parents, and Coach Judy are all black, and featured throughout are diverse characters of different skin tones, body types, hairstyles, and visible cultural cues. Simple in its storytelling, strong in its diversity, this is an entertaining as well as enlightening read. (Early reader. 4-7)

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September 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-In this soccer-themed installment, the sports-loving Mo Jackson is practicing his kicks. He kicks his desk; he kicks the bed; he kicks the pillow into the bookshelf in the hall, knocking books off the shelf, much to his mother's chagrin. Mo's parents take him outside to help him practice, but Mo's enthusiastic kicks are all too high. When he gets to the soccer game against the Pups, Mo's smaller stature means he gets tired chasing the ball more quickly than his teammates. But when the Pups' goalie throws the soccer ball back toward Mo, he gives a mighty kick, mostly missing the ball, but keeping it on the ground and making the winning goal. There is plenty of action in this friendly sports-themed easy reader. A large font and lots of word repetition combined with cheerful and expressive depictions of the characters, particularly Moe and his diverse team, make for a very accessible reader. VERDICT Another winning title in the popular series.-Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
Grades K-2 Mo has trouble keeping his soccer kicks low, so he practices at home. During the game, running up and down the field tires him out, so he's relieved when a teammate's kick looks like a game winner. Instead, the goalie stops the ball and throws it at Mo. Determined to end the game with a mighty kick, he almost misses the ball entirely. The goalie jumps to block a high shot, while the ball rolls slowly toward the net. Score! The digital illustrations feature multicultural casting, action, and excitement. Beginning readers first met Mo in the football-themed Don't Throw It to Mo! (2015), winner of the 2016 Geisel Award. He took up baseball in Get a Hit, Mo! (2016) and basketball in Pass the Ball, Mo!? (2017). The youngest, smallest kid on each team, Mo works hard to learn and improve his skills. Who could begrudge this unlikely sports hero the good luck that comes his way in each book? Not a kid who's working hard to master a similarly complex, difficult challenge: learning to read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
In his fourth early-reader adventure, sports-loving Mo Jackson (Don't Throw It to Mo! and others) takes to the soccer pitch. He needs practice, and Mom and Dad are happy to help. During the big game--Billy Goats versus Pups--Mo has some ups and downs, but he (sort of inadvertently) scores the winning goal. Mo's underdog status and his try-try-again attitude, reflected throughout Ricks's unfussy illustrations, continue to have appeal.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)