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[Following is a volunteer review of "Toni the Superhero" by R.D. Base.]

What do superheroes do when they are not out saving the world? Toni the Superhero by R.D. Base answers this question for a superhero boy named Toni. Base created this children's book as a fun way to help kids learn to read. With short, repetitive sentences, she gives new readers a great opportunity to begin reading and enjoy a fun superhero story.

I enjoyed reading this book with my kids, ages 9 and 5. My 9-year-old daughter simply enjoyed the story. Since she has already learned to read, it was far too easy for her. Still, that did not deter her from cuddling up with us as we read the story. From the first page to the last, my 5-year-old son was enthralled. He even made me read the back cover material to him so that he did not miss anything. I enjoyed seeing my son picture himself in Toni's shoes and nod his head about how much he and Toni had in common. Since my son is just about to start reading, the simple and repetitive sentences appealed to him.

As a homeschool parent, I invest a significant amount of time in helping my children learn to read well. We find great value in these simple sentences with a repetitive structure. These types of stories and images help the children learn to recognize words and decode new ones. With my son's love of superheroes, the books in this series will be great resources for us to use as he starts learning to read. The brightly colored artwork provides wonderful context clues on the pages to help children decode the new words as they learn to read them.

From a critical standpoint, I loved the diversity in the pages and the subtle messages that it incorporates of including and helping others. Toni's superpowers are not the focus of the book, though we do see him flying at the beginning and end of the book. Instead, helping others is a focus for Toni, and that is a part of his superhero persona. Showing that a superhero has similar interests to other kids makes him approachable and relatable to the kids. I saw it inspire my kids to think about how they are like Toni and how they can also help others.

This wonderful and inspiring children's book easily earns 4 out of 4 stars from me. Simple writing easily reaches its goal of inspiring kids to read. Bright, colorful artwork supports the story well. I found no editing errors in the work, and it thoroughly engaged both of my children throughout the story. Parents and children that love superheroes are sure to love this wonderful story that is perfect for learning to read.

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Toni the Superhero
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Like Kendra M Parker's review? Post a comment saying so!

I'm interested to hear that your 9-year-old liked it too! Although the simple sentences are clearly pitched at beginning readers, it sounds as if the book is not "babyish". I enjoyed reading your review.

It helps that you have children to try Toni out on I love that your little one was so enthralled! Very sweet.
Thanks for the great review.

ButterscotchCherrie wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 03:40 I'm interested to hear that your 9-year-old liked it too! Although the simple sentences are clearly pitched at beginning readers, it sounds as if the book is not "babyish". I enjoyed reading your review.

My 9-year-old loves books of all kinds. She has not been reading long for various reasons, but she loved sitting with us. As we worked on this review together, she told me she had thought this book was pretty “cool.” I certainly wouldn’t call the book “babyish,” though it is definitely simple, and I think my daughter's reaction supports that.

Bianka Walter wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 03:50 It helps that you have children to try Toni out on I love that your little one was so enthralled! Very sweet.
Thanks for the great review.

I was so excited to share this one with my kids. I feel like I have a bit of a leg up on some other reviewers for this one. Plus, I get the bonus of teaching my kids about how to do book reviews. Now they are begging to do them, too. I think I see future writing assignments...

Nice review! I am planning to read this book with my daughter, and I am sure she is going to enjoy it.

onixpam wrote: ↑15 Jul 2018, 09:13 Nice review! I am planning to read this book with my daughter, and I am sure she is going to enjoy it.

I hope she enjoys it as much as my kids did. I’m looking forward to getting some of the other books in the series when they come out. I think that they will be lots of fun to read with my son.

I love that you included your kids in the review process, and it’s great to get a teacher perspective on the book.

teacherjh wrote: ↑20 Jul 2018, 04:07 I love that you included your kids in the review process, and it’s great to get a teacher perspective on the book.

My kids thought that writing this review together was so much fun. They thought this was the coolest project ever. My daughter even started begging to do her own reviews I think that was a win on all fronts. They got excited about reading AND writing!

This is such a great review! Your story about sharing this book with your children proves the great power that a good picture book can have. It's not just about handing a book to a child and hoping they'll learn to read it. It's about cuddling up with them and sharing the experience, so reading becomes something they truly enjoy. And as you noted, even kids who already know how to read can benefit from reading along with a mom and a younger sibling. Great job!

Dael Reader wrote: ↑27 Jul 2018, 07:34 This is such a great review! Your story about sharing this book with your children proves the great power that a good picture book can have. It's not just about handing a book to a child and hoping they'll learn to read it. It's about cuddling up with them and sharing the experience, so reading becomes something they truly enjoy. And as you noted, even kids who already know how to read can benefit from reading along with a mom and a younger sibling. Great job!

I love that someone else appreciates the power of reading with the kids. It has been fun to watch them embrace reading this way.

I have read this book and it is a great book for children that are only starting to read. Great review!