Superdog: The Heart of a Hero [RM 20]

RM[20]
Caralyn Buehner (Author), Mark Buehner (Illustrator)

Lots of kids want to be superheroes, and apparently so do certain animals. Two new books make good use of every child's longing to be the biggest, bravest, strongest. InSupersnouts! young pig Hamlet notices masked men entering the barnyard and alerts two older pigs. They slip into the costumes of the Superhero Pig Patrol and allow Hamlet to get some "on-the-hoof" training as a superhero. He causes almost as much trouble as he solves before triumphantly catching the burglars (though the actual capture is somewhat abbreviated). This rather slight story has a high quantity of hammy jokes along with plenty of bangs and booms. The attraction here is the zippy watercolor artwork, so action-filled that each spread practically quivers with movement. Although the pictures are not cartoon-style, this raucous offering does have elements of that robust medium.

Superdog has the same energy, but less slapstick and more heart. Dexter is a small dog, who decides that the way to get respect, especially from ridiculing cat Cleevis, is to become a superhero. He exercises, reads up on other superheroes, and even gets a costume. Almost immediately, he is tackling purse snatchers, rescuing rodents, and in a dramatic denouement, saves Cleevis, who is stuck in a tree. This has a stronger story than Supersnouts, but again it is the artwork that really shines. Solid shapings, surprising perspectives, and thick paints in dynamic colors combine for artwork that practically jumps off the page. There's plenty of wit, too, such as in the set of six small pictures in which Dexter shows off his newly developed muscles. Pure fun (mixed with a little forgiveness). Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066236207
• ISBN-13: 978-0066236209
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches

RM20