Send for a Superhero!

Veteran children's-book writer Rosen proves he knows what kids like and what they ARE like. ... Although this approach has been used before, rarely has it been executed with such hilarious results.

McEwen comes through like a champ, illustrating the action in convincing Sunday-comics style, complete with flat-looking characters, faded colors, and a background approximating newsprint. ... [A]ny silliness here is good silliness.

The text and art shift smoothly between superhero action and bedtime scenario, and children should have little trouble following both storylines--one funny for its recognizable family dynamics, the other for its off-brand superheroes, wacky bad guys, and helpless grownups.

Former British Children's Laureate Rosen skewers comic-book conventions in this story-within-a-story. With siblings Emily and Elmer cozied up on either side of him, Dad reads them the very book readers are holding in their hands. McEwen's (I Love You, Little Monkey) mixed-media illustrations shift from soft, homey scenes into energetic comic-book storytelling mode as the family becomes immersed in the story of two villains--Filth, a one-eyed green blob, and Vacuum, a money-stealing vacuum cleaner--who are terrorizing the town of Townton. Lots of sounds effects ("schweee" "skloosh") and maniacal laughter ensue as three superheroes are called in to save the day. The would-be heroes--Steel Man, Super-Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast Man, and Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man--are basically low-rent cousins to Iron Man, Superman, and the Hulk, and where they fail, a secret agent/schoolboy's suggestion succeeds. The over-the-top superhero drama and pratfall-laden clashes slyly send up familiar comic book tropes, while the mid-story interruptions and diversions involving Emily and Elmer showcase a homey family dynamic that many readers will recognize. Ages 3-7. (June)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 3--In this story within a story, a father reads to his children at bedtime, sharing with them a tale of danger, destruction, and unexpected heroism. Emily and little Elmer listen avidly as Dad begins, "'Danger! The Terrible Two are trying to destroy the world!'" The villains, Filth and Vacuum, plan to pour muck and slime over an idyllic small town called Townton while sucking up all the money, jewels, and treasure to be had. At school, young Brad 40 receives an alert of the impending threat and contacts the mayor. The mayor calls in three strong, fast, and big superheroes who prove to be no match for the Terrible Two. At last, Brad 40 comes up with an ingenious idea to save the day: lull the bad guys to sleep with the help of Extremely Boring Man. As Dad narrates, the children interrupt him with their comments about the rising action. Like many siblings, they squabble, and Elmer delights in imitating the evil cackle of the villains. The mixed-media illustrations are eye-catching and entertaining. Precisely drawn panels filled with subtle humor detail the perils of all-too-perfect Townton in comic-book fashion, contrasting nicely with the plush, jewel-toned family bedtime scenes below. Pair this clever title with another superhero adventure, Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman's Superhero Joe and the Creature Next Door (S. & S., 2013) for an action-packed storyhour.--Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The playful silliness of the superhero romp complements the gentle intended bedtime tale, and a similar contrast develops between the grainy newsprint-inspired illustrations, with thin outlines and washed-out coloration, and the crayon-box (and even Day-Glo) thickness of the siblings' world. ... This will be a nice intro for kids gearing up for skills in reading graphic formats and understanding metafictional devices.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Dad reads a bedtime story to Emily and little Elmer. Observant readers will see that the cover of this book matches the cover of the book Dad reads. ... Dad proudly tells Mom that Emily and little Elmer are asleep, but they're not. So, at the conclusion of our book, Dad begins to read another chapter telling how Brad 40 saves the world. Again.
—Library Media Connection

Illustrated by Katharine McEwen, this rollicking picture book pairs the drama of a man trying to lull his children to sleep with the dynamic saga of hapless earthlings who desperately summon one superhero after another to defeat the sludgy, vacuuming forces of evil. ... Very funny but not remotely soporific entertainment for 5- to 8-year-olds.
—The Wall Street Journal