In this pointed fable, a guinea pig figures out that real friends are better than an imaginary one—even when the latter is a superhero. Incensed when the other household pets pooh-pooh Super Guinea Pig, his beloved TV hero, a guinea pig dons cape, mask and persona in an effort to impress them. This has the opposite effect—but when his attempt to buckle some swash causes him to fall into the fishbowl, it’s not his furry idol who comes to the rescue. Suddenly the shine is off the hero-worship, and all ends in renewed domestic amity. Weigelt leaves readers to figure out the moral on their own, and Spranger supplies big, bright cartoon figures that, despite staring eyes, provide plenty of visual appeal. A tale to share during TV Turnoff Week, perhaps. (Picture book. 6-8)
