4 out of 4 stars
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Most young children are fascinated by superheroes. Superheroes play a significant part in children’s lives. They are seen as role models by some children. Superheroes can influence children’s lives. The hope is that this influence will be positive most of the time. Toni-The Superhero is a children’s picture book written by R.D. Base and illustrated by Debbie Hefke. It is the first book in a series of picture books based on the character Toni. The author lists other titles that will be published in this series. The book is dedicated to the author's children. There are thirty-two pages in the book and sixty-seven words. This falls within the average page and word count limit of picture books targeted at three to four-year-olds. Toni is depicted as a superhero as well as an everyday boy that children can identify with.
The front cover is colorful and interesting. It is definitely eye-catching and will be appreciated by young children. The text is composed of single sentences of about five words each. There is usually one sentence on a page. Two pages do not contain any text because the text describing the illustrations on them are on the preceding pages. The language is easy to understand and suitable for children aged three to five years. The level of word difficulty is appropriate for early readers. The most commonly used literary tool in this book is repetition. A lot of sentences began with the words: “Tony likes to…” The sentences do not rhyme, but they are nearly of the same length and thus create a rhythm.
The pictures illustrating the sentences are apt, colorful, and appropriate. I liked the fact that Toni was drawn in his superhero outfit as well as in everyday clothes. However, the illustration about Toni dusting the house, in my opinion, could have been better. I think that illustration should have shown Toni actually dusting furniture, and not just holding dusters.
This book can be an early reading tool for young children. It can also be used to teach them how to form their own sentences. I think children will enjoy reading this book because Toni is likable. They will probably identify with Toni’s bravery and kindness to animals. The fact that Toni likes to help with house chores, and eat vegetables, may motivate them to emulate him.
I feel the author should have introduced us to one or two of Toni’s friends. Just mentioning a name would have been nice. In my opinion, that would have set the pace for adding a few lines about them in subsequent books. I enjoyed reading this book and I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I found no grammatical or punctuation errors so I think the book was professionally edited.
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Toni the Superhero
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