Super Saurus’ imagination once again conquers a challenging situation.
Having saved kindergarten (2017), Super Saurus tackles his next issue: his parents’ unhatched egg.
This kid’s imagination knows no bounds, so when faced with the uncertainty of a brother or a sister, he does the only thing he can: declare “Super Saurus works alone” and imagine that it’s the “EGG OF DOOM.” He’ll be ready no matter what hatches. His “Super Sun” will shrivel a “vampire-saurus,” his “Robot Ruster” will stop a “planet-crushing robot,” and Maud the Marauder will vamoose at the first sound from his “Bagpipe Blaster.” Super Saurus has to keep the egg close in order to immediately overpower whatever hatches, and despite his words to the contrary, his parents think it’s sweet how taken he is with the idea of being a big brother. When the inevitable happens, Super Saurus truly does vanquish the tot that hatches, but his little sister does some vanquishing of her own…and becomes a great sidekick: Super Goo. Young’s acrylic illustrations play up the dichotomy between Super Saurus’ fancies and, with the turn of a page, reality: Toys, a fish net, a flashlight, and bubbles are the common items that turn into his superhero tools (and that readers are likely to have as well). These dinos are sauropods, the parents with long necks. Super Saurus has blue hair like his dad’s, and Goo, blonde, like her mother’s.
Super Saurus’ imagination once again conquers a challenging situation. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 22, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4231-7569-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound.
The titular cookie runs off the page at a bookstore storytime, pursued by young listeners and literary characters.
Following on 13 previous How To Catch… escapades, Wallace supplies sometimes-tortured doggerel and Elkerton, a set of helter-skelter cartoon scenes. Here the insouciant narrator scampers through aisles, avoiding a series of elaborate snares set by the racially diverse young storytime audience with help from some classic figures: “Alice and her mad-hat friends, / as a gift for my unbirthday, / helped guide me through the walls of shelves— / now I’m bound to find my way.” The literary helpers don’t look like their conventional or Disney counterparts in the illustrations, but all are clearly identified by at least a broad hint or visual cue, like the unnamed “wizard” who swoops in on a broom to knock over a tower labeled “Frogwarts.” Along with playing a bit fast and loose with details (“Perhaps the boy with the magic beans / saved me with his cow…”) the author discards his original’s lip-smacking climax to have the errant snack circling back at last to his book for a comfier sort of happily-ever-after.
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0935-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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