SUPER SAM!

Brief text and bright, bouncy illustrations combine to create an appealing, if slight, story. The plot is simple: sturdy preschooler Sam borrows his baby brother’s blue blankie and ties it around his neck to become “Super Sam.” Everyday objects are transformed as he leaps over tall buildings (a pile of pillows), lifts a (toy) truck into the air, climbs a cliff (a bunk-bed ladder), and escapes from a wild bear (a stuffed teddy). Baby brother Pete is most impressed until Sam accidentally steps on his finger. When neither truck nor teddy soothes Pete’s pain, Sam generously gives up his cape. Ries tells the story in short sentences, using only 53 words, including 12 repetitions of the phrase “Super Sam.” Rama’s illustrations, executed in colored pencil, water-soluble crayon, and watercolor, have a childlike appeal. Round-headed kids with simply drawn features cavort in a vividly colored bedroom. There’s some inconsistency in the backgrounds, but this doesn’t really detract from the illustrations’ energy and charm. Imaginative and fun, Sam’s antics will amuse and possibly inspire young listeners. (Picture book. 2-5)