The Adventures of Robo-Kid

Copper-haired, pale-skinned Henry is enthralled by a comic book starring Robo-Kid—a superhero who saves the day when Earth is threatened by a wayward asteroid. Henry is also dreading the day’s swim lesson, which will require him to tackle deep water. The moral support he craves comes from none other than Robo-Kid, who, bored by life inside a comic book (“I save the day every day.... Why can’t I be a superhero in the real world?”), climbs out of the volume’s frame and into Henry’s life. But in real life, Robo-Kid is no bigger than an action figure and distinctly lacking in superpowers. When the superhero accidentally tumbles into the deep end, Henry jumps in to mount a rescue—and passes his swimming lesson with flying colors (“You were SUPER!” declares Robo-Kid). DeGroat’s (the Gilbert and Friends series) low-key meta story sets up a visual contrast between the comic’s flat, bright art and Henry’s more realistically rendered world, ending on a sweet-natured note—with both kid and superhero knowing that, in their respective ways, they saved the day. Ages 4–8. Agent: Liz Nealon, Great Dog Literary. (June)