Customer Reviews

Kapow!

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I think we've all seen the toys-come-to-life-when-we're-not-around fantasy in roughly 70 millions different forms of media over the years. Far less common, but no less a part of children's daily lives, are stories in which kids pretend to be superheroes. They exist, but few are so carefully thought out and amusingly illustrated as George "First Book" O'Connor. Choosing to present his picture book in a graphic novel style (and earning himself a mention at the New York 2005 Book Fest as a result) "Kapow!" is a novel telling of three kids, their world of make-believe, and the consequences of major roughhousing. It's not a particularly original idea or a huge departure from already existing picture book superhero tales (like "The Adventures of Sparrowboy" or "Traction Man Is Here!"), but it's probably going to be VERY beloved of certain children in certain households.

A small boy is playing with his blocks when, with a simple removal of his jacket, he becomes the muscly chin-clefted American Eagle. Joining up with fellow superhero Bug Lady, the two ignore his mother's warning against getting too into their play and trap a dangerous panther (or housecat, depending on how you look at it) in a cage (washbasket). Then it's off to stop The Rubber Bandit from robbing the First National Bank. At this point, however, things get a little too crazy. In the midst of the heroes epic battle a bookcase plummets to the floor. Now it's up to American Eagle to do something actually heroic. Will he tell the truth to his mom, or will he succumb to the temptation to lie? Tune in to learn more this week in the exciting picture book extravaganza, "Kapow!".

Like fellow fearless cartoony illustrator Kevin O'Malley (author of "Lucky Leaf" amongst others), Mr. O'Connor is not afraid to place his story within a contemporary setting. Some author/illustrators chicken out when it comes to books of this nature and feel safer placing their story in the 1950s, or some such silliness. O'Connor, however, isn't afraid to contemporize his tale. The mom of the American Eagle kid reminded me a little of the mom in Bob Graham's, "Let's Get a Pup, Said Kate" but with less tattoos. And she's still doing laundry, so don't expect any breaks from stereotypical gender roles or anything. There are fun little details within the seemingly straightforward story though. While the book never comes on out and says it, I suspect that the poor kid wrangled into being the Rubber Bandit is probably American Eagle's little brother. Try removing the cover and comparing the picture underneath to the one printed on the cover too. Also, I was happy to find that American Eagle's duckish baseball cap never changes expression, though the mouth below it (his mouth) might.

The leaps between viewing these heroes as spandex-wrapped adults and costume-laden kids will be enough in and of themselves to garner a fan base. It's nice to note that the story is a pretty amusing one as well. Though it doesn't do anything particularly new or original, this is bound to help get Cartoon Network junkies into the whole reading thing. A useful book.

This book is a big favorite in our house. My son loves to read it and look at the pictures. He is not quite 2, and I can't keep him away from it! It's also a fun read for adults. It has it all: action, adventure, comedy, and a moral at the end (that's not overdone). It's a great comic-type book without the stuff we don't want our kids getting into too young. The illustrations are fabulous, and the transitions between make-believe and reality are excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone with young children.

This a great book, one that I feel the adults will get the bigger kick out of. The book goes back and forth between reality and the imagination of our superheroes Bug Lady and American Eagle. It shows the innocence of childhood and the power of imagination. great book.