Super Turbo vs. the Pencil Pointer (Super Turbo: The Graphic Novel #3)

Gr 1-3--A new villain challenges Super Turbo, the heroic hamster and official pet of Classroom C. In fact, all of Sunnyview Elementary School's superpets are facing the same mechanized menace in each classroom: electronic pencil sharpeners. While investigating their new nemeses, the pets learn empathy for the convenience the new sharpeners give the students. Likewise, the teachers and students realize they must be mindful of machines' effect on nearby animals, whether it be noise or clutter. The superpets are as colorful as their costumes, and the students are diverse in terms of race. Both groups communicate well among themselves, listening to each speaker and sharing ideas with one another. Bright, gradient backgrounds reinforce the gentle optimism of this book and series. VERDICT Animals and people learn to consider others' experiences in this superheroic team-up about empathy.--Thomas Maluck