Superhero vs. School

Intent on his caped and masked alter-ego, the deceptively brave boy at the center of this spry cartoon battles the forces of evil in his bedroom, but stalls when directed to don his school clothes—and with good reason: “To win this nail-biting battle against school, an ironed shirt will be useless. Our hero needs a shirt made of iron!” His imagination explodes as he envisions his superhuman persona successfully battling an animated school bus and building, both of which have ferocious, snapping jaws. In battle scenes that alternate with real-life goings-on, Long pulls out all the hyperbolic stops, setting loose ominous, fanged school supplies. When the child finally arrives at school, freshly dressed at last, he discovers that the monsters are no match for him and his band of newfound friends. High-octane, bright pictures, created in pencil and digitally scanned and colorized, may well provide a boost of confidence to wary, school-bound superheroes. Ages 3–6. [em](July) [/em]