MAMA'S BOYZ: HOME SCHOOLIN'!
Author: Jerry Craft
ISBN: 978-0-9796132-0-3
Pages: 112, 11 x 8.5
Price: $9.95
Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin' by Jerry Craft is the follow up to the award-winning "Mama's Boyz: As American as Sweet Potato Pie! , a compilation of the comic strip that has been syndicated by King Features since 1994. (Craft is one of fewer than a dozen syndicated African-American cartoonists!) The first book was selected for inclusion in "Great Books For African-American Children." In addition, Mama's Boyz received an African American Literary Awards Show Open Book Award for Best Comic Strip, and was reprinted in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the African American Soul and Chicken Soup for the African American Woman's Soul .
Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin' takes a humorous month-by-month look at the events that affect the lives of the American family. Its humor, messages, and morals are aimed at getting kids and young adults to read and promote discussion. It examines a year in the life of the Porter family, which is made up of Pauline aka "Mom" (a widow), and her two teenaged sons, Tyrell and Yusuf.
For example, in January, "Gran'pa" takes the boys downtown to eat at a lunch counter in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. For the first time, the teens are made to realize what life was like before the Civil Rights Movement as Gran'pa makes Yusuf give up his seat to a white passenger. Once at the restaurant, they are told how African Americans used to have to enter through the backdoor and were not even permitted to sit at the counter. Other topics include an appreciation of Black History Month (Feb) and Women's History Month (Mar), realizing the importance of Mom for Mother's Day (May), back to school (Sept) and holidays such as Thanksgiving (Nov) Christmas and Kwanzaa (Dec).
Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin' also includes a look at how Jerry Craft creates his strips, draws his characters, and commentary on various comics throughout the book. The book concludes with the most popular Mama's Boyz story in its 15-year run, entitled "Dawn of the Dad" in which Mom shows Yusuf the tremendous responsibility of raising a child as he's made to care for an infant for an entire weekend! Changing diapers, 2 a.m. feedings, crying, burping... you name it. When this story first appeared in newspapers, Jerry received over 500 emails from parents, teachers and clergy around the country commending the series. One mother wrote to say that she let her son read the strips, then used it as a way to talk to him for the very first time about the issue of "babies having babies." As a result, in June of 2007, Jerry received a "Conversation Starter" award from the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The award is for advocates who have helped change the conversation about teen pregnancy from one that places blame and shame on teenagers, to conversations about what it takes to motivate teens to want to avoid pregnancy in the first place.
BOOK REVIEWS
"Jerry has 'crafted' a book of his comic strips chock full of real people and poignant messages. Accessible to everyone, it provides hours of discussion between those young and older, across ages, races, and other 'borders' both real and imagined. Right there along with an apple a day, try a comic strip a day! -- Elise Klein , President and Founder, Teachers Against Prejudice
Mixing down-home wit with traditional values, Jerry Craft presents a colorful reflection of African-American life that the whole family can enjoy. -- Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-In-Chief, Essence Magazine
Craft's quick wit, artistic skill and deft use of youthful language to bring out life lessons are sure to capture a young person's interest. -- Pamela Toussaint, Author of Great Books For African American Children
Jerry Craft is one of the finest cartoonists and professionals in the business. It is a pleasure to have him as part of the Chicken Soup Series. -- Lisa Nichols, The Secret and Coauthor of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul and Chicken Soup for the African American Woman's Soul
Mama's Boyz is one of my favorite comic strips. Not only do I love to follow Mom and the Boyz as they work in their family bookstore, but I also appreciate how it supports writers and literacy. I even got to appear in a story. How cool is that?! -- Eric Jerome Dickey, NY Times and Essence Magazine best-selling author
Kid reviews
The new book is great! It is really funny and I like how you went month-by-month. The dancing Yusuf in the corner was also cool... and clever. Nice!
-- Peter E., age 12, Westport, CT
I really liked this book. You can learn a lot from it and it is easy to relate to the characters, which is good. That means you wrote this very well. Keep writing, you can go far.
-- Dani B., age 10, Norwalk, CT
I thought this book was extremely funny and enjoyable. The characters were funny and had cool personalities. It was very educational and the drawing part made me feel like drawing is fun and easy. I can't wait to see the book in stores!
-- Davie B., age 11, Norwalk, CT
My Auntie had given the first book he did to my sister for her birthday three years ago. She never let me read it when she wasn't in the room because the stories were so good and funny. Now I am definitely old enough to take care of it and she passed it on because she's a big teenager now. Well I am getting the new book when it comes out and Mom says I'll have' two classics from Mr. Craft' that I can share and teach lessons to my younger cousins with!
-- Jourdain D. age 10, Smyrna, DE