Pass the Ball, Mo!

by David A. Adler, Sam Ricks (Illustrator)

Overview

Mo may not be the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest basketball player, but he won't let that stop him from playing! This Step 2 reader from Geisel Award winner David Adler is now in Step into Reading!

Mo's latest obsession is basketball. He's determined to learn how to pass, but as the shortest member of the team, he can't seem to launch the ball high enough. Can Mo learn to pass in time to help his team win the big game?

Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593432549
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Series:	Step into Reading Book Series: A Step 2 Book
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	168,840
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.09(d)
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

David A. Adler is the author of more than two hundred children's books, including the MO series of readers. Visit David at davidaadler.com.

Sam Ricks is a children's books illustrator and lead graphic design faculty at The Art Institute of Salt Lake City. Visit him at samricks.com.

Editorial Reviews

"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 whitespace, 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." —The Horn Book 

From the Publisher

01/01/2018
PreS-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

School Library Journal

2017-11-13
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)

Kirkus Reviews