Superhero punch without a superclear message.
Long uses the superhero trope to get kids ready to face their first-day fears.
Scotty is a kid with a super imagination…superhero, that is. This little boy apparently sleeps in his super-suit, as that’s how his mother finds him on this momentous morning, telling him to get dressed. But as alternate double-page spreads show, Scotty is busy with the business of a superhero, saving the world from rogue robots and anthropomorphized school supplies (and the school itself) gone berserk. Can Scotty face his biggest nemesis and greatest fear? With friends, anything is possible. Though the scenes depicting Scotty and his friends battling the fanged school have comic-book verve, there’s not much takeaway for young readers, superhero aspirations or no. Puzzlingly, following their combined assault on the school, a page turn reveals it completely unmarked and intact. Any psychological process real-life Scotty may have gone through to grow comfortable with school is invisible. For kids already filled with worries, a book containing salivating, toothy school supplies with angry eyes and malicious grins may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Scotty and his mother present white; his classmates are diverse. For great tales of imagination taking on school fears, stick with Planet Kindergarten (2016) by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Shane Prigmore or Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten (2017) by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Ned Young.
Superhero punch without a superclear message. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68119-828-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
Sky-based pyrotechnics make for a fun if somewhat confusing telling.
In this collaboration between sci-fi novelist Sanderson and Amulet creator Kibuishi, an unreliable narrator informs readers that here be no dragons.
“A boy sat in a chair.” The book opens on a bespectacled, light-skinned child in old-fashioned attire. The narration continues, “That’s it. He just sat in a chair,” while on the opposite page, the boy’s chair has unexpectedly whisked him heavenward. The narrator attempts to convince readers that just sitting in a chair is boring. As the story continues, however, the boy is attacked by an array of sky ruffians operating vessels; fight scenes and impressive explosions ensue. A dragon makes an appearance as the narrator drones on about how dull the story is. Kibuishi’s detailed cartoon images depict an enticing steampunk-esque world. Adults reading this book to kids might want to read the text first without the pictures; on a second run they can show off the images, neatly illustrating the important interplay of text and visuals in sequential art. Unfortunately, for all that the illustrations maintain the action at a fair clip, near the end the plot grows muddled as the boy gets out of his chair but then tumbles to the ground: Was he falling and then trying to stop himself? Some adult intervention may be required to clarify what precisely is happening on the page.
Sky-based pyrotechnics make for a fun if somewhat confusing telling. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781250843661
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
A beautiful tale of friendship and living in the moment.
Eka makes the most of her last night in Tokyo.
Dressed as a kitsune (or fox spirit), Eka, a brown-skinned child of Japanese origin, listens for the sounds of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, when the human world overlaps with that of the yōkai, supernatural creatures such as monsters or ghosts. This is her first time returning to her grandfather’s home in Tokyo since she and her family moved to New York, and she’s determined not to miss her favorite night of the year. As she walks the streets with the yōkai, they ask about her new home. Given how far away New York is, Eka doesn’t know when she’ll return to Tokyo, and no one seems to understand or care about yōkai in her new home. Though her heart aches, for now she’ll sing, hoot, dance, and enjoy herself. This is a sweet, whimsical story of a young immigrant who’s uncertain when she’ll see her beloved family and former home again. Eka’s questions about whether the yōkai are good or wicked offer intriguing food for thought—like humans, the yōkai contain multitudes. With its beautiful night palette, the artwork glows and brings the text and monsters to life. In an author’s note, Takahashi discusses her own experiences growing up African American and Japanese in both the United States and Japan. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A beautiful tale of friendship and living in the moment. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9780063224964
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
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