Review Detail

DO SUPER HEROES HAVE TEDDY BEARS? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle is certainly a cute book. I enjoyed the escapades of the adventurous siblings, and the underlying message that the imaginary life of children is broad and complex and varied, not limited by the “rules” of being a superhero, or anything else.

The question and answer format of the book is a strong rationale for writing in rhyming couplets, but I really wish picture book writers would just write good, strong musical prose. The couplets in this book are not as tortured as many others out there, but they rarely scan, and trying to make them scan ties my tongue and brain in knots. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the many many hours I spend reading books aloud have made me somewhat more exacting than another reader might be.

The illustrations are colorful and energetic. The knotted-blanket wearing boy with his almost electric-socket shock of red hair is especially fun to look at. There’s lots of detail to explore in the illustrations, making this a good choice to read aloud, taking time to explore each page, and tell the many stories hidden there.