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TEN STEPS TO FLYING LIKE A SUPERHERO

Name: TEN STEPS TO FLYING LIKE A SUPERHERO
Author: Deb Pilutti
ISBN: 978-1-62779-650-7

by Deb Pilutti ; illustrated by Deb Pilutti ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 17, 2020

There’s an apple neatly hidden in this superhero candy treat.

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A toy superhero tries to fly with help from his human child sidekick.

Lava Boy, a White child, and Captain Magma, a superhero toy who presents as a White male, work together to save the day all the time. Captain Magma has many powers: superstrength, lava vision, and friendliness so strong it wins over evil villains. But he can’t help but wish he could fly. Once, a bird picked him up and flew with him; he dreams of repeating the experience, but to no avail. And he secretly fears Lava Boy might replace him for a better superhero, like Meteor Shower, a Black female superhero who flies. Captain Magma enlists Lava Boy to help him learn to fly, with a 10-step plan involving craft supplies, feathers, a high launching spot, and, of course, trying again if you fail. After Meteor Shower rescues Captain Magma, Lava Boy and Meteor Shower’s human sidekick, Star Girl (who is also Black), run off together, clad in their superhero costumes and clutching their respective toys. While some of the later plot turns feel a bit arbitrary, this simple, easy-to-read tale explores childcentric issues of relationships, trust, and learning with a humorous touch. Bright illustrations in primary colors with green backgrounds, fun lettering, and occasional speech bubbles evoke the comic-book superhero tradition. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 67.5% of actual size.)

There’s an apple neatly hidden in this superhero candy treat. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-62779-650-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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MY BEST FRIEND IS A LION
by Deb Pilutti ; illustrated by Deb Pilutti

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FISH DON'T GO TO SCHOOL
by Deb Pilutti ; illustrated by Deb Pilutti

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THE DINOSAUR IN THE GARDEN
by Deb Pilutti ; illustrated by Deb Pilutti

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HEDGEHOGS DON'T WEAR UNDERWEAR

by Marissa Valdez ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2025

Sure to have little ones giggling.

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Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”

Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.

Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: April 1, 2025

ISBN: 9781250814388

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
MAYA'S BIG QUESTION
by Meena Harris ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

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WHO'S IN CHARGE?
by Stephanie Allain & Jenny Klion ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

- BOOK REVIEW
HATTIE HARMONY: OPENING NIGHT
by Elizabeth Olsen & Robbie Arnett ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)