Here’s to many kids (and parents) finding their own superpowers.
A young boy searches for his superpower and finds just what he wanted all along.
Serendipity leads a young boy to open the linen closet, where he makes a discovery that changes the course of his day: In an otherwise black-and-white scene, he finds a neatly folded, bright red piece of fabric. Off come his shorts and T-shirt. On goes the imagined superhero cape, and as he poses, he gains color: brown hair, pale skin, blue sneakers, and tighty whities. Off he goes to show the still–black-and-white parental figure relaxing in a chair with a tablet. But not only can he not discover the superpower that goes with his cape, but he can’t even get his parent’s positive attention, either: “Please don’t jump on the couch.” “Did you brush your teeth today?” “No running in the house.” When his disappointment at his utter lack of superpowers becomes apparent, the parent finally puts down the digital device and declares the boy has a “super powerful imagination.” The parent finally gains coloring (to match the child’s) when the boy (literally) pushes him to join him in superhero play…and like the child, loses clothing save for socks, yellow boxers with hearts, and a baby-blue cape. Kelley’s masterful use of color in the sparse illustrations makes the messaging plain for both young and old: Use your imagination, and interact with people, not devices. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 22.5% of actual size.)
Here’s to many kids (and parents) finding their own superpowers. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: April 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1111-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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