My children and I received our formal introduction to Jaden Toussaint through Jaden Toussaint, The Greatest Episode 3: Muffin Wars. Written from Jaden's perspective, we learn all the good things we heard about Jaden are true: he's brilliant, he's funny, and he's a great dancer. He knows so much about different subjects and his sense of humor rivals those of all the five-year-olds we know. Reading along from his side of things made us smile, laugh, and lured us in from the beginning. However, when his cousin Muffin came to town, we were impressed by her as well. So were Jaden's other friends. And this proved to be problematic for Jaden Toussaint.
See, when Jaden finds out his cousin Muffin is moving to New York City, he's so excited. He creates lists of all the things he can teach her. He even places his favorite things around his room so that his cousin sees them and asks him about them. Jaden can't wait to impress her so they can become best friends. But soon enough, we learn that his expectations are far from reality. Once Muffin hits town, her charm and wit captures everyone's attention at home. Everyone wants to learn more about Muffin, becoming so engulfed in her stories, Jaden barely gets a word in. And worst of all, she notices none of the cool things he wants to talk to her about.
And if missing his mark at home wasn't enough, Jaden is in for a rude awakening at school when Muffin steals the spotlight there too. Everything Jaden thinks he's great at, Muffin seems to be just as good at. And before we know it, Jaden decides he must find something he can beat Muffin at. He gets into his boss ninja moves, does a little yoga, and creates a master plan. But this plan becomes hard work because Jaden soon realizes Muffin might be just as great as him. How does he deal with his newfound competition? Will he continue to plot against his cousin Muffin or will he learn to join forces with her?
Reading Muffin Wars was lots of fun for both me and my children. This book is ideal for early readers from grades K-5 (ages 4-10) who are just getting started with chapter books. We made this book a family read so my four-year-old could enjoy following along with some help from his siblings. My 12-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son got a kick out of Jaden's humor and wit, while my youngest son insisted we teach him Jaden's dance moves. He also pointed out that Jaden's mommy and daddy looked a lot like his mommy and daddy, too. This meant so much because I make it a mission to find books with characters that look like us. Now my four-year-old can see examples of greatness in the books he reads. He knows as a little black boy, he can excel at anything he puts his mind to—just like Jaden Toussaint. This is why representation is so important!
And if missing his mark at home wasn't enough, Jaden is in for a rude awakening at school when Muffin steals the spotlight there too. Everything Jaden thinks he's great at, Muffin seems to be just as good at. And before we know it, Jaden decides he must find something he can beat Muffin at. He gets into his boss ninja moves, does a little yoga, and creates a master plan. But this plan becomes hard work because Jaden soon realizes Muffin might be just as great as him. How does he deal with his newfound competition? Will he continue to plot against his cousin Muffin or will he learn to join forces with her?
Have you read any books from the Jaden Toussaint series?
Do you use books to teach life lessons to your children?
Disclosure: This book was sent to me by the author for review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. To read more about my disclosure policy, click here.
