Customer Reviews

Grow Up! #4 (DANIEL BOOM AKA LOUD BOY)

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Who doesn't love a good graphic novel? Just as a picture book is an art form in itself, a graphic novel is as well. It's a difficult process to write in pictures and I can't even imagine the time and process that go into writing a graphic novel like Grow Up! #4 (DANIEL BOOM AKA LOUD BOY).

Grow Up, the fourth installment of the Daniel Boom books, features the superhero who has no volume control on his voice--hence, Loud Boy! And who are the other young heroes in the book? You have Chatterbox, Destructo-Kid, Tantrum Girl, and Fidget. Yes, the fact that Steinberg has created superheroes from habits that kids are usually disciplined for --whether it be talking too loud or too much, fidgeting, or destroying something-- is just pure genius.

The superheroes are at it again, but in Grow Up!, the all-kids crimefighting crew are acting like old people! It seems as though the mastermind behind K.R. Industries, Doctor Docter, comes up with a plan to sap their youth energy and turn them into senior citizens. Loud Boy is walking with a cane, Destructo Kid is crazy for bingo, Fidget is the new shuffleboard king of the senior center and Chatterbox is the one with the granny bag and beehive hairdo. But if you think the mastermind can beat our superheroes just because they're old, well, the world's about to change, amigo!

The writing is clever and funny and will keep young readers wanting more. I had to fight my four year old for the book, since he kept stealing it from me. I was really amazed at the bright, vibrant illustrations and could easily picture this as a cartoon. Steinberg is an animation producer who has worked on classic animated films such as The Land Before Time, Hercules, Mulan, Meet the Robinsons and Tarzan. And to team him up with Brian Smith, who has previously worked at Marvel Comics and Nickelodeon, you have quite a superhero duo when it comes to creating amazing children's books that will dominate the world!

We have all 4 books in the Daniel Boom series and my 8 year old girl/boy twins love them. The art is awesome and the literature is smart and entertaining. This is the perfect book collection for the kids who claim they don't like to read. The art will draw them in, and the writing will make them fall in love. My kids read them all cover to cover on the first day.

Loud Boy and the gang think it's the perfect time for some inside secret reconnaissance of K-R Industries when they hold their first ever take-your-kid-to-work day. Little do they know Doctor Docter has chosen this time to use his Energy Replenerator to suck the energy out of the superheroes (and eventually all children) turning them into senior citizens, so that the Dr. and his kid-hating cronies can have the energy of youth. This volume brings back all the previous villains in minor roles, reminds us of all the heroes' previous world-saving exploits, and finally reveals the secret of how Jeannie S. (Chatterbox) got her super powers. Just as much fun as one expects from a Daniel Boom book by this point. Lots of action and humour combine for a great story making this another of my favourites in the series. The only problem is we are left hanging wondering whether there will be another book in the series. The story arc is completely wrapped up in this book with a finite ending. The author teases us by leaving a footnote after the words "The End" pronouncing "perhaps?". If the series does continue there will be some major changes in the basic plot line and I for one certainly hope Loud Boy and the gang will return.

All 3 of my kids love the "Daniel Boom (aka Loud Boy)" books. The plots in these graphic novels are action-packed and hilarious for kids, and surprisingly fun for adults. (I'll admit that I read them, also.) I haven't found books -- since Harry Potter -- that everyone in the family wants to read immediately!

This is the 4th in the Loud Boy series and my kids keep asking for the next one! As a parent I'm delighted to see how Loud Boy immediately grabs my kids' attention and keeps them reading. Like all the Loud Boy books, Grow Up is at once dynamic and outlandish while staying firmly on the side of good clean fun. Kinda the perfect kids book.