4 out of 4 stars
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Toni the Superhero is an engaging little book for kindergartners and preschoolers by R.D. Base. The titular character is a kid with generic superpowers such as flight and super-strength, but the demonstration of such abilities is not the purpose of this book. It shows Toni doing ordinary tasks that any kid can do, such as running, playing, jumping, drawing, helping with chores, and of course eating and sleeping. Kid or adult, who doesn’t like the last two?
By showing how a superhero can have fun and take responsibility in equal measure, Toni provides a great role model for young children. They may not be able to fly or lift very heavy objects, but they can play with their friends and assist with housework. In performing such tasks, they can be like Toni. They can be a superhero in their own home.
The attractiveness of Toni as a role model for kids is helped by the clear and colorful illustrations provided by Debbie Hefke. Toni is depicted as a happy, capable child with plenty of friends who is eager to help those who want help. Whether it is a cat who needs someone to get them down from a tree, or his mother requiring someone to sweep and dust, Toni is on the job with a big smile on his face.
Base has pitched the text at the level of a first reader, and so on each page an illustration is explained with one sentence. "Toni likes to run" elaborates on an illustration of Toni and his friends running. "Toni likes to dance" explains a scene where Toni and who is presumably his big sister are dancing in a living room. First readers will have little difficulty connecting the varying word in the sentence with the action depicted, which will aid the growth of their vocabulary considerably.
There is nothing to fault with Toni the Superhero. This is a delightful little book that kindergartners and preschoolers will benefit from greatly. The clear illustrations show what is happening, and the simple, repetitive sentences clarify in each instance what is happening so that the reader can grasp the meaning quickly and effectively. Moreover, Toni is a great role model for the kids to whom this book is targeted, and that is something society could do with more of. I have no hesitation in awarding Toni the Superhero a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
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Toni the Superhero
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