Having extolled the merits of his superhero father in Atomic Ace (He’s Just My Dad) (2004), a lad discovers that his mom has hidden talents too in this engaging follow-up. No sooner does his spandex-clad dad zoom off into space to deal with an incoming swarm of meteors than another swarm—this one of red-eyed robots sent by cyborg baddie Roboconqueror—bursts through his classroom window. It looks like curtains for sure, but rescue comes from an unexpected source as lightning-wielding Energy Angel swoops out of retirement to zap the metal marauders, and the sprout discovers that he has not one, but two superhero parents. Illustrated with brightly colored comics-style panels inset into larger scenes, this rhymed ruckus can be read with equal ease as a straightforward Pow!-Zap!-Save-the-Earth adventure or a tongue-in-cheek takeoff—especially as, in the end, after Mom’s return to active duty is expedited by a corps of robots rewired to do the domestic chores, Atomic Ace flies off with a wink. Shelve it next to Bob McLeod’s Superhero ABC (January 2006) and Ross MacDonald’s Another Perfect Day (2002). (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-8075-0484-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2006
At her best, Rylant’s (The Ticky-Tacky Doll, below, etc.) sweetness and sentiment fills the heart; in this outing, however, sentimentality reigns and the end result is pretty gooey. Pandora keeps a lighthouse: her destiny is to protect ships at sea. She’s lonely, but loves her work. She rescues Seabold and heals his broken leg, and he stays on to mend his shipwrecked boat. This wouldn’t be so bad but Pandora’s a cat and Seabold a dog, although they are anthropomorphized to the max. Then the duo rescue three siblings—mice!—and make a family together, although Rylant is careful to note that Pandora and Seabold each have their own room. Choosing what you love, caring for others, making a family out of love, it is all very well, but this capsizes into silliness. Formatted to look like the start of a new series. Oh, dear. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84880-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
Thanks to parrot-toting Braidbeard and his gloriously disreputable crew, a lad discovers the ups and downs of a pirate’s life in this rousing mini-epic. His mom and dad busy on another part of the beach, young Jeremy happily joins a band of hook-handed, eye-patched, snaggle-toothed pirates aboard their ship, learning pirate table manners (none), enjoying a game of nautical soccer until a shark eats the ball, then happily retiring without having to brush teeth, or even don pajamas. But then Jeremy learns that pirates don’t get tucked in, or get bedtime stories, and as for good night kisses—Avast! Worse yet, no one offers comfort when a storm hits. So, giving over the pirate’s life, Jeremy shows the crew where to bury its treasure (his backyard), and bids them goodbye. Shannon outfits Braidbeard’s leering, pop-eyed lot in ragged but colorful pirate dress, and gives his young ruffian-in-training a belt and bandanna to match. This isn’t likely to turn pirate wannabees into landlubbers, but it will inspire a chorus of yo-ho-hos. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-15-201848-4
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003
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