Review by Booklist Review
Mo stinks. His brother, Jo, stinks. It's not altogether surprising, since the two caveboys live in, well, an equally stinky cave. These self-sufficient prehistoric siblings eventually come to the logical conclusions of WE NEED BATH! and Scrub cave!, so they get to cleaning themselves, their cave, and a disgruntled nearby skunk. In chapter 2, the Boulder Brothers play a tricky game of hide-and-seek, though Jo has some trouble with the rules. And in the third and final chapter, they search for ways to stay cozy on a cold day and come up with an ingenious and heartwarming solution: More friends. More warm. The bold orange-and-brown illustrations are loosely in the style of cave drawings, though the two brothers are thoroughly modern in their mischievous attitudes and escapades. Lynn's dialogue, consisting of basic vocabulary words; chuckleworthy narration; and large-format, easy-to-read layout are endearingly entertaining and create fun and accessible experiences for a new reader. Sure to leave young fans demanding more! More Mo! More Jo!--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Meet the Boulder Brothers, Mo and Jo, in this new beginning reader series in a graphic novel format. In three short chapters, these silly caveboys attempt to eliminate a cave odor, learn how to play hide-and-seek, and solve the problem of being cold. Each spread offers one or two sentences from the narrator, while Mo and Jo's speech bubbles leave out some words, resulting in simplified cave speak. For instance, on one spread the narrator explains, "Jo sees some birds. The birds do not look cold." Meanwhile Mo and Jo say, "Feathers keep warm" and "Need feathers." The uncomplicated illustrations are presented in colors and hues perfectly suited for a caveman setting. The book is slightly larger and thicker than a typical book in the new reader's section, giving the impression of a "sizable" read yet the word count is only a step above Mo Willems's "Elephant and Piggie" titles (Hyperion). In fact, these caveboys' antics are sure to attract Willems's readers who are ready to move on to other titles. VERDICT Funny and adventurous, Mo and Jo will appeal to new readers, even though parents may be concerned about proper grammar.-Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Young readers will giggle as caveboys Mo and Jo try to decide which brother stinks, play a dizzying game of hide-and-seek, and try everything from banging rocks and covering themselves in feathers to stay warm. The short, accessible sentences are perfect for newly independent readers. Bright illustrations recalling Flintstones cartoons complement the playful tone of the three vignettes. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
