Super Animal Powers


Written by Ryan Jacobson
Photographs by Stan Tekiela
Published October 11, 2016

Why we chose this book:
Adventure Publications included a review copy of this with a book we had requested. Superhero fan that he is, T wanted to read it immediately upon opening the box. He loves it and has had me and his Grammy read it to him innumerable times already.

Mom's Review

Jacobson and Tekiela use a fun format to teach animal superlatives and fascinating trivia.

Thanks to Super Animal Powers, the whole family now knows which animal can shoot blood out of its eyes (the horned lizard), and just how far T could shoot blood out of his eyes, if he had that power (across the living room). Did you also know that the dung beetle is the strongest animal for its size? And that if you had the peregrine falcon's speed, you could compete in NASCAR, without a car?

T loves everything about Super Animal Powers, and I love expanding my knowledge of curious animal characteristics. What sets this animal fact book apart from others we've read is its superhero component. A superhero with the same power as each animal is introduced, alongside an explanation of the extent of the power; it's proportional to a human, so a young audience can more easily grasp the magnitude of the animal's ability by relating it to their own. Also, at the bottom of each page there is an "Up next" preview about which T is enthusiastic; he insists that we always read it and loves to guess which animal comes next. Sometimes I can't resist being obnoxious and shouting out, "I know! I know!" That's what he gets if I have to read it back to back. ;) Who else likes to annoy their kids on occasion? We aren't too formal or serious in this house!

Son's Review 
(Age: 3 and 1/2 years)
We have a guest reviewer participating on this one, T's Grammy.

Grammy: Owls! You have those at the EcoTarium, don't you? They look furry.

Son: Um-hm. They look cute!

Grammy: The horned lizard -

Son, interrupting: Shoots blood out its eyes!

Grammy: What impressed you the most?

Son: The dung beetle. Both kids of bugs in there [dung beetle and tarantula]. And my other favorite guy is the one that shoots blood from its eyes. The chameleon.

Grammy: That's a horned lizard. I wonder where horned lizards live; I hope they don't live near me.

Son: I hope they don't live near us!

Grammy: Do you like the pictures?

Son: Yes. That one of the dung beetle. That looks like surely a superhero!

Mom: Which power would you want?

Son: I would like to be this one [the horned lizard]. So I could shoot it across the house!

Grammy: Who do you wish were in your woods?

Son: I'll tell you which one I'd want to be. The dung beetle. The horned lizard. I wish the horned lizard lived around here. I'd bring it inside so it would make a big mess for my mommy to clean up!
(Someone thinks he's being funny. Payback I guess for my previous obnoxiousness!)


Comments

  1. Thanks so much for the fun review! I'm so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the book. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We really do love it, and we went to the pet store yesterday to see real, live chameleons!

      Delete

Post a Comment