Kapow! [Hardcover]

George O'Connor (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2004

Do you have what it takes to be a superhero?

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Over five pages of front matter, a boy playing with blocks is transformed into "American Eagle," shown in full superhero glory on a colorful two-page illustration. From there, alternating spreads switch back and forth between realistic scenes of the boy, his friend, and his little brother–all dressed in superhero costumes–and their imaginary world. When "Bug Lady" asks "American Eagle" for help, the children are shown playing in his house. However, a page turn reveals the larger-than-life duo flying across town as full-grown action stars. Things go too far when the children knock over a bookcase, then hear the ominous "thoom thoom thoom" of Mom's approaching footsteps. In the end, an honest apology and a promise to clean up proves to be a satisfyingly heroic conclusion. Dialogue bubbles work with the cartoon illustrations to add light bits of humor to the action. The youngsters make dramatic statements ("With one mighty blow the wall tumbles like toy blocks"), but also slip out of character ("Mom says no hitting!") just as real kids would. The shifts between real life and fantasy are effective. The regular scenes are neatly framed within single white-bordered pages, while the contrasting superhero pictures fill spreads to their edges with motion and bold color. The result is an appealing splash of adventure, neatly placed within the recognizable world of children's daily lives.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
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About the Author

George O'Connor's cover -- as a mild-mannered clerk in one of Gotham's most beloved children's bookstores -- was completely blown when his first picture book, KAPOW!, exploded onto the scene. Forced to leave the bookselling world behind, he now spends even more time in his secret Brooklyn, New York, hideout -- where he uses his amazing artistic powers to strike fear in the hearts of bad guys everywhere! --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (July 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689867182
• ISBN-13: 978-0689867187
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,383,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

George O'Connor is the author of several picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Kapow!, Ker-Splash, and Sally and the Some-thing. His debut graphic novel, Journey into Mohawk Country, was published by First Second. O'Connor's current project is The Olympians, a series of graphic novels for young readers about Greek Mythology. He is over 7 foot tall, and is the handsomest man in the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Stuff, December 5, 2004

By 

Nicholas T. M. Bruel "NBruel" (Tarrytown, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kapow! (Hardcover)

Comic books have outgrown the kids who are supposed to read them in recent years. Most of the time, they're simply too advanced for the age group that I was a part of when I picked up my first comic. "Kapow" does a fine job of bringing the comics genre back to the 4-7 year olds in a friendly and creative setting that will certainly appeal to these young readers. Adults who might be concerned that the book delves into the similar violent and angry sub-culture that comic books themselves sometimes enter into should rest assured that "Kapow" is more about make-believe and playtime and correcting mistakes than about anything else. It should also be noted that the book does a nice job of integrating "minority" characters like Bug Girl into the storyline without making it a book about integrating minority characters. This might seem small, but not many books do this these days. "Come On Rain" comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others, but I thought it worth noting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read for Multiple Ages!, August 31, 2004

By 

LSCATinNM (Albuquerque,NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kapow! (Hardcover)

This book is great. My kids ask to read it at least once a day since we got it a couple weeks ago. It appeals to my 2-year-old, 4-year-old, and 6-year-old at different levels. The switch back and forth between imagination and reality is very well-done and the colorful illustrations are excellent. Plus, every Mom will appreciate the little moral at the end (don't worry, it's not too preachy.) One of my favorite things about this book is that it gives kids credit for being thinkers and doesn't patronize them. I hope your kids will enjoy it as much as mine have.

5.0 out of 5 stars Spaceman Spiff lives!!, April 29, 2007

By 

Chris's Daddy (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kapow! (Hardcover)

I sometimes enjoy reading to my son from my old Calvin and hobbes comic books, even though many of the strips go over his head and some of the others aren't really appropriate for a six year old. Among our favorites are the classic "Spaceman Spiff" Sunday strips, where Calvin is piloting his spaceship and fighting evil monsters, before he suddently finds himself jerked back to drab reality, often paying a price for what he did in the real world while his mind was in outer space.

For me, this book read like a series of Spiff strips. Although this superhero ("American Eagle") stays on planet earth and has a cute "Bug Lady" sidekick, the theme is the same--he repeatedly gets caught up in his imagination too much and gets a little bit carried away. Since the author is not constrained by the comic strip format he can also stretch out the artwork more, which helps keep the book enjoyable during the 1,000 or so repeated readings that your child will no doubt request (if he's anything like mine was, anyway). Lots of fun for parents and children alike.