My Dad, My Hero

April 4, 2011
As a boy lists superpowers that his father lacks, this story's comedy plays out in pop artâstyle panels that show the man bumbling his way through everyday activities. "He cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound," but instead trips over the block structure his son has built, sending it tumbling. Nor does he have the "super strength" to open a jar of pickles, which his wife does effortlessly. Powered by a Roy Lichtenstein meets Sunday funnies aesthetic and a self-effacing sense of humor, Long's story is sincere without being saccharineâwhich dads will appreciate. Ages 4â8.

April 1, 2011

Dads are often elevated to superhero status in the eyes of their kids, but Long turns this concept on its ear with hilarious results. Choosing a cartoon style and humor equally reminiscent of both Mo Willems and Garfield of comic-strip fame, Long first introduces an idealized dad on the cover, dressed in tight blue superhero garb complete with red cape and showcasing pumped-up muscles. But the inside story shows a dad lacking any real superpowers. Formatted in comic-book panels and illustrated with what appears to be the classic Ben-Day dots technique (think Roy Lichtenstein), this title aims at the funny bone. Captions narrate the action from the son's droll point of view. The book opens with dad tripping over building blocks since he "cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound" and struggling to open a jar of pickles since he obviously "does not have super strength." But after the son comes to the end of his amusing list of what dad is unable to do, readers can laugh equally hard at dad's attempts to be the best father possible. Parents will chuckle with empathy at dad's comedic, stretched-thin patience as he spends quality time with his son. All ends well with a big hug and no doubt that this dad is "really super.../ and definitely" a "hero." (Picture book. 3-6)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 15, 2011
Preschool-G Its a savvy move to compare dads and superheroesboth are characters lots of boys are familiar with. In a series of one- and two-page spreads, Long lays out all the things that a little red-haired boys dad cannot do. He does not have super strengthjust look at him strain to open that jar of pickles. My dad does not wear a cape under his regular clothesbut he is trailing some toilet paper from his shoe. Keeping with the superhero theme, the art makes use of comic-book-style benday dots and furthers the retro appeal by trucking in very traditional displays of dadhood: getting ready for the office, shaving, painting, amateur plumbing, playing catch, and so on. Long knows how to poke just enough fun at Dad without crossing the line into buffoonery; despite his foibles, the boys father clearly does one thing very well: My dad does spend a lot of time with me. At the end of the dayeven with the old man passed out on the sofathe little boy knows exactly who his real hero is.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)