Review - I Just Want to Be Super!

I Just Want to Be Super!
by Andrew Katz
illustrated by Tony Luzano
Date: 2020
Publisher: CrackBoom! Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

One morning, Nino finds a mask that gives him amazing powers. He can’t wait to blast into action! But no one will let him do all the super things he wants to do. Instead, everybody tells him stuff like: Put away your dishes. Get dressed. Be CAREFUL.

Will Nino ever get the chance to show how super he can be?

With empathy, humor and exuberant imagination, dynamic writer-illustrator duo Andrew Katz and Tony Luzano tell a story all children will relate to, one about stretching their limits and discovering just what it means to be super.

Fans of Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Max (Where The Wild Things Are) and any kid with LOTS of energy will discover a kindred spirit in Nino. There are also character education lessons here, perfect for discussions both in the classroom and at home, on learning to use strength in a way that is positive and conscious of others.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book doesn't really work for me. Right from the get-go, I was distracted (or, rather, disgusted) by the initial event. See, Nino doesn't "find" the mask. His cat brings it in. It's literally something the cat dragged in, and his parents just let him put it on his face. (I'll be waiting for the sequel: I Just Want to Cure My Pinkeye!)

The rest of the book is unimpressive, and Nino models questionable (or outright naughty) behaviour throughout. I get that he's supposed to be young, so I can forgive the whining and stomping of feet when he doesn't want to do something. But then he does obnoxious things (like throwing tomatoes) or downright dangerous things (like almost throwing a giant rock), and the way these events are dealt with doesn't really show kids that what he's doing is wrong. In the former case, he's shown sitting by himself "for a while". Judging by the picture, he's being punished for being a brat. Parents might get it, but little kids probably won't.

Nino just wants to feel super, and he eventually gets to use his imagination to make that happen. But I think the book goes off the rails a little bit there, too. Everything is pretty true to life up until that point, and then he's suddenly flying to Mars and having hot chocolate with aliens. I don't think that part even needed to be there. Him imagining a tree as a monster that's trapped his cat is more than enough fantasy.

The illustrations are clear, colourful, and cartoony. Kids might like them.

Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment for me. I don't like the way the kid's behaviour was portrayed (especially since the issue of consequences wasn't clearly addressed). Also, who lets their kids literally fling glitter all over the room? I mean, that's not actually dangerous, but it's probably not something you want your own kids to see in a book and try to emulate.

Thank you to NetGalley and CrackBoom! Books for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5