It’s a bird, it’s a plane…..it’s a cat?” Have you ever wondered what type of pets the most famous super heroes on our planet would have? You can find out in the fabulous DC Super-Pets new children’s chapter book series. My five year old son is learning to read and his eyes almost bulged out of his head when he saw this new book series. He immediately wanted to “practice” his reading skills so we sat down to read the adventure title, “Streaky the Super-Cat” who proceeds to battle his arch nemesis, “Rozz the Evil Siamese” who has kidnapped a royal hamster. Will Streaky the Super-Cat be able to save him……….? Written by John Sazaklis and illustrated by Art Baltazar this book is thoroughly fun and entertaining. It is also written in a style that is very attractive to young children. My son was thrilled with the words that he was able to read himself and I was happy to fill in the blanks for him. My husband tells me that Super-Pets have occasionally appeared in DC Comics before but this particular series gives them lead character role. Released by Capstone Publishers, this series is geared for early readers in grades 1-3. There are currently six titles available with 24 total books scheduled in this series. Overall this is a very fun adventure series that has really encouraged all of my children to practice their reading and pre-reading skills. http://simplystacie.net/dc-super-pets-book-series-review/
One of the highlights of every month around our house is the arrival of the latest issue of Art Baltazar’s Tiny Titans, the all-ages title from the Johnny DC line. Consistently one of the best reads of the month, it’s at the top of the To Read pile both for me and for my six-year-old daughter Georgia. I like it because it is (a) funny, (b) beautifully drawn and written, and (c) makes great use of the DC Universe that I’ve spent so many years exploring. Georgia likes it because it’s a funny, well-drawn book about kid superheroes–but best of all, because we sometimes get to see their pets. My kid loves animals, to put it mildly. And her favorite issues of Tiny Titans usually involve the “Super-Pets” in one way or another (she’s a huge fan of the Krypto The Super-Dog cartoon for the same reason). So when we heard last year that Baltazar was going to be doing a line of Super-Pets chapter books with Capstone, we were very interested. And now they’re here… There are six books in the line all together (and hopefully more to come), and in the week or so since they arrived from Amazon we’ve read more than half of them. They are FANTASTIC. Anyone who is familiar with the DC characters at all will recognize all sorts of clever little nods and winks, but for young readers who have never encountered that world before these serve as a great introduction. I recommend them to anyone, whether you’ve got kids or not, but if you do have kids then you must get them. http://www.chrisroberson.net/2011/01/23/aw-yeah-super-pets/
The Myriad Worlds of Chris Robertson
I recently received a stack of review copies from DC’s new Super-Pets children’s book series. These brightly colored little books all turned out to be of consistent quality and tone, so I decided to do a little round-up review for the whole set. According to the press information, the six books above are the first releases in a projected series of 24. Each is illustrated by Art Baltazar, celebrated for his Eisner Award-winning work on DC’s All Ages Tiny Titans comic series. They’re available in both a softcover digest format and hardcover, which is listed on Amazon as “Library Binding.” That description is fair, because while the more durable format is probably a wise investment for libraries and schools, most families may find it easier to fit the 4.95 list price softcovers into their budgets. The softcovers are still quite nice, with clear high quality paper, lovely color printing, and durable feeling bindings despite their small size. They will feel much at home in smaller hands, whose owners probably won’t be afraid to bend the book while hovering over their favorite pages. The books are designed from the ground up as a set. Each one follows a simple and informative format. The bright, pastel cover opens to the DC Super-Pets! logo followed by a two page spread of the series cast (repeated in the back of the book.) Then comes a title and credit page, with floating heads of a couple of the featured pets. After that, we find out who is starring in the book, on a single page introducing the pet, their nemesis, and usually the superhero or villain counterparts. Across from this page there is a colorful table of contents. Then we get a computer file on our main super-pet, which is fun – under the heading “Paradise Isle Royal Computer” for example. This file shows abilities, points out costume pieces, includes a height line up, and bio plus information like Species, Place of Birth, Age, and Favorite Food. After that there’s about 42 pages of illustrated story. The stories are mostly large-type text punctuated by special font sound effects and the odd floating head showing relevant expression. Every couple pages has a half or fourth page illustration, with the odd full page or 2-page splash mixed in. The end is followed by a “Know Your Super-Pets!” 2-page spread, with the hero and villain introducing their associate animals – “Aw Yeah, Hero Pets!” There’s also single pages in the back devoted to “Aw Yeah, Jokes!”, “Word Power!”, “Meet The Author/Illustrator!” and, of course, an advertisement/listing of the other books in the series, the publisher’s website, and publication information. Now that you’ve got some idea of the format, I should talk about the actual content. While each book features work by Art Baltazar (a great idea to keep a single illustrator to build recognition among the kids), the authors vary. J.E. Bright, Sarah Hines Stephens, John Sazaklis, and Jane Mason have all turned in work similar enough that it should be totally indistinguishable to young readers. That, in itself, isn’t a bad thing – you don’t have to worry about any of these books being terrible or suddenly offensive. But the series probably won’t gain any of them particular individual acclaim. Baltazar’s art is nicely printed and of his usual high quality. The bright and often pastel color scheme is warm and inviting and his expressions should be immediately understood by all readers. If I had any complaint at all, it’s only that I wish these were actual comics so we could see more drawings. Which isn’t really a complaint – I hope they inspire many readers to seek out his comic work. The stories feature the pets almost exclusively. While there is the odd appearance by owners, usually at the start and end of a story, these animals are their own heroes. They solve problems and build relationships all on their own. The solutions they find are generally competitive but non-violent. They’re sometimes surprisingly coopera
Now that the DC Super Pets books are available, I'm considering letting each of the kids pick one out the next time I place an Amazon order. The books are geared towards early readers, ages 4-8, which means they are at the right level for The Comic Wizard, but would be beneath the recommeded reading level for Super Reader. Despite that, I suspect she'll still be excited for the books because of the characters and illustrations by Art Baltazar. Let's take a look at the first six releases: The Fastest Pet on Earth by J. E. Bright The speedy super-villain CHAUNCEY THE CHEETAH is loose on PARADISE ISLAND! However, WONDER WOMAN'S SUPER-PET, JUMPA THE KANGAROO, isn't worried. This blazing-fast bouncer is the quickest critter on Earth. Or is she? When CHAUNCEY challenges JUMPA to a race, the kangaroo must prove her swiftness and her cleverness. But this criminal cat is chasing more than bragging rights. She's seeking JUMPA'S tiara as top prize. If the SUPER-KANGAROO doesn't have a few tricks in her pouch, she might lose in more ways than one. Heroes of the High Seas by J. E. Bright Deep beneath the ocean, TOPO THE OCTOPUS plays some relaxing music for AQUAMAN. Suddenly, a huge whirlpool appears in the distance, threatening the city of ATLANTIS. Without a moment to lose, AQUAMAN leaps aboard his SUPER-SEAHORSE, STORM, and jets toward the liquid tornado. While the SEA KING rescues a whale caught in the deadly current, his SUPER-PETS discover the source of the problem . . . MISTY and SNEEZERS, the BLACK MANTA'S minions! TOPO, STORM, and ARK THE SEAL, must stop these evil rays, or their underwater city could be lost again. Midway Monkey Madness by Sarah Hines Stephens When the carnival comes to METROPOLIS, BEPPO THE SUPER-MONKEY isn't far behind. This CHIMP OF STEEL can't wait to chow down on chocolate-covered bananas and other fair foods. Unfortunately, the world's evilest ape, GORILLA GRODD, has other plans. He wants to turn this festival of fun into a day of destruction. With a little help from the WONDER TWINS and their space chimp, GLEEK, BEPPO must somehow stop GRODD'S midway monkey madness. Pooches of Power by Sarah Hines Stephens When sardines go missing from the GOTHAM CITY Marina, ACE THE BAT-HOUND investigates. This clever canine quickly discovers a couple of clues, but something still smells fishy. To help solve the case, ACE calls on the most powerful pooch around . . . KRYPTO THE SUPER-DOG! They track down three fowl felons, the PENGUIN'S BAD NEWS BIRDS, ARTIE, GRIFF, and WADDLES. Working together, the doggy duo must recover the stolen sardines and throw those dirty birds in the can. Royal Rodent Rescue by John Sazaklis While napping in the FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, STREAKY THE SUPER-CAT is suddenly awakened by a television news alert. The evil Siamese cat ROZZ has kidnapped Prince Zouli, a noble hamster from the village of Kardamyla. UP, UP, AND AWAY! The CAT OF STEEL is on the case and quickly tracks down the royal rodent. Unfortunately, the fearsome feline has a few tricks up her fur. When ROZZ reveals a chunk of KRYPTONITE in her collar, STREAKY must help the hamster, and save herself as well. Super Hero Splash Down by Jane Mason After traveling through the universe, the GREEN LANTERN B'DG chills out at a water park on Earth. However, when the RED LANTERN DEX-STARR shows up, his day in the sun is anything but fun. This fearsome feline chases B'DG through the pool, down the waterslide, and into outer space. While there, the two opponents discover a common enemy . . . the SINESTRO DOG CORPS! These parched pooches are looking for a place to soak their snouts. If B'DG and DEX-STARR don't team up and stop them, their favorite water park will become mutt puddle. Many of these pets have already shown up in the pages of Tiny Titans, so the kids are familiar with them. Beppo is one of their favorites, so I imagine Midway Monkey Madness will be their top choice. As for the other... I'm not sure. Pooches of Power
The Brave and the Old Blog
MIDWAY MONKEY MADNESS by Sarah Stephens Summary: When the carnival comes to METROPOLIS, BEPPO THE SUPER-MONKEY isn't far behind. This CHIMP OF STEEL can't wait to chow down on chocolate-covered bananas and other fair foods. Unfortunately, the world's evilest ape, GORILLA GRODD, has other plans. He wants to turn this festival of fun into a day of destruction. With a little help from the WONDER TWINS and their space chimp, GLEEK, BEPPO must somehow stop GRODD'S midway monkey madness. — Picture Window Books HEROES OF THE HIGH SEAS by J.E. Bright Summary: Deep in the ocean, TOPO THE OCTOPUS plays some relaxing music for AQUAMAN. Suddenly, a huge whirlpool appears in the distance, threatening the city of ATLANTIS. Without a moment to lose, AQUAMAN leaps aboard his SUPER-SEAHORSE, STORM, and jets toward the liquid tornado. While the SEA KING rescues a whale caught in the deadly current, his SUPER-PETS discover the source of the problem . . . MISTY and SNEEZERS, the BLACK MANTA'S minions! TOPO, STORM, and ARK THE SEAL, must stop these evil rays, or their underwater city could be lost again. — Picture Window Books POOCHES OF POWER! by Sarah Stephens Summary: When sardines go missing from the GOTHAM CITY Marina, ACE THE BAT-HOUND investigates. This clever canine quickly discovers a couple of clues, but something still smells fishy. To help solve the case, ACE calls on the most powerful pooch around . . . KRYPTO THE SUPER-DOG! They track down three fowl felons, the PENGUIN'S BAD NEWS BIRDS, ARTIE, GRIFF, and WADDLES. Working together, the doggy duo must recover the stolen sardines and throw those dirty birds in the can. — Picture Window Books ROYAL RODENT RESCUE by John Sazaklis Summary: While napping in the FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, STREAKY THE SUPER-CAT is suddenly awakened by a television news alert. The evil Siamese cat ROZZ has kidnapped Prince Zouli, a noble hamster from the village of Kardamyla. UP, UP, AND AWAY! The CAT OF STEEL is on the case and quickly tracks down the royal rodent. Unfortunately, the fearsome feline has a few tricks up his fur. When ROZZ reveals a chunk of KRYPTONITE in his collar, STREAKY must help the hamster, and save himself as well. — Picture Window Books SUPER HERO SPLASH DOWN by Jane B. Mason Summary: After traveling through the universe, the GREEN LANTERN B'DG chills out at a water park on Earth. However, when the RED LANTERN DEX-STARR shows up, his day in the sun is anything but fun. This fearsome feline chases B'DG through the pool, down the waterslide, and into outer space. While there, the two opponents discover a common enemy . . . the SINESTRO DOG CORPS! These parched pooches are looking for a place to soak their snouts. If B'DG and DEX-STARR don't team up and stop them, their favorite water park will become mutt puddle. — Picture Window Books FASTEST PET ON EARTH by J.E. Bright Summary: The speedy super-villain CHAUNCEY THE CHEETAH is loose on PARADISE ISLAND! However, WONDER WOMAN'S SUPER-PET, JUMPA THE KANGAROO, isn't worried. This blazing-fast bouncer is the quickest critter on Earth. Or is she? When CHAUNCEY challenges JUMPA to a race, the kangaroo must prove her swiftness and her cleverness. But this criminal cat is chasing more than bragging rights. She's seeking JUMPA'S tiara as top prize. If the SUPER-KANGAROO doesn't have a few tricks in her pouch, she might lose in more ways than one. — Picture Window Books When I first heard the idea behind the new series, DC Super-Pets, I had a feeling that Booking Son might be just a tad bit interested. And I was certainly right! You should have seen him when he first saw these little books — his eyes got really big and he started to smile. Then, he asked me if they were for him because "I really want them." After I told him yes and that they were for early readers, he immediately grabbed a book and started flipping through it. I don't think he got my subtle dig about "early readers" but he is only 6 years old — he is constantly be
Another entry into the DC Super-Pets series, Super Hero Splash Down features Green Lantern's Space Chipmunk, B'DG. As is true with all DC Super-Pets books, there is an informative bio for B'DG including his favorite foods, special powers and brief biography. In Super Hero Splash Down, B'DG is enjoying a day off. He's soaking up the sun at his favorite water park. Things don't go as planned when B'DG's nemesis, Dex-Starr shows up causing trouble. Worse, a pack of evil dogs show up. Despite their differences, B'DG and Dex-Starr must team up to defeat the troublemaking dogs before they reach the water park. Once again, children are likely to love Super Hero Splash Down. The vocabulary is just right with a guide in the back to define tougher words. Super hero actions are enhanced with big, powerful words like KA-BLAMO or SPLOOSH making it fun for parents to read out loud and put real emotion into the action-packed scenes. http://roundtableforkids.blogspot.com/2011/01/dc-super-pets-super-hero-splash-down.html
Roundtable Reviews for Kids
I’m excited to share with you a fantastic and engaging new series for young readers. DC Super-Pets Books are early chapter books about the super pets of familiar superheros and super villains like Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Catwoman, and Aquaman. The Super-Pets are these Superhero’s pets — Streaky the Super-Cat and Jumpa the Super-Kangaroo, for example. The pets fight crime often perpetrated by Super-Pets of Super Villains and always save the world. Each book is illustrated by Art Baltazar, the Eisner Award-winning artist, with fantastic, colorful comic-style graphics and the text is large and easy to read. My third grader thought they were great and so do I. The first six books in the series came out January 2011 and are: The Fastest Pet on Earth Heroes of the High Seas Midway Monkey Madness Pooches of Power Royal Rodent Rescue Super Hero Splash Down http://imaginationsoup.net/2011/02/superhero-pets-for-early-readers-series/
I’m so excited about this new book series for early readers (grades 1-3) debuting from Capstone Publishers. The series is called DC SUPER-PETS, and it’s created in conjunction with comic book giant DC. These books feature action-packed stories about the pets of the world’s greatest superheroes — Supergirl’s cat, Aquaman’s seahorse, Superman’s monkey, Green Lantern’s chipmunk, Wonder Woman’s kangaroo, and Batman’s dog — as they do battle with the pets of famous villains! The first six titles in the planned 24-book series are: Heroes of the High Seas Midway Monkey Madness Super Hero Splash Down The Fastest Pet on Earth Pooches of Power! Royal Rodent Rescue Here’s a fun book trailer about the series… [Email subscribers, please click on the title of this post to view the video online.] My boys are in first grade, and these early chapter books are perfect for them! They’re just the right level for kids who are just getting into chapter books, and the colorful illustrations by award-winning comic illustrator Art Baltazar definitely keep my boys’ interest. They’ve really been enjoying this fun and exciting book series! http://susanheim.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-dc-comic-book-super-pet-series-for.html
Susan Heim on Parenting Blog
With a small suite of writers, Art Baltazar has created a new line for DC Comics and Capstone publisher, six new books based around the Super Pets. JE Bright, John Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens have written stories around the pets of the Justice League and villainous pets they must combat. Out in the New Year, here is a Bleeding Cool sneak peek… http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/11/23/preview-alt-baltazars-super-pets/
This new series "DC Super-Pets!" is a younger sibling to the already established "DC Super Heroes" series by the publisher. While the latter series is for established, and perhaps reluctant readers, this new series is for emergent or reluctant readers. All six books in the series are at a GR. 2 level with this one being the easiest at a RL:2.3. Following the same format as the established series, DC Super Pets uses colourful cartoon graphics for all the sound effect words. It goes on to make the books more appealing to younger readers by using different colours of text for each character's spoken words. There are also illustrations on every page, using a variety of formats from full-page to half-page to single illustrations amongst the text. This may sound crowded at first but the lines of text are double spaced creating a nice graphic display, easily read on each page. This story features the Green Lantern's pet, a space alien chipmunk named B'dg. B'dg insists he is pals with GL, not his pet. B'dg is enjoying a day off from saving the universe at Waves O' Fun water-park when Red Lantern corps member Dex-Starr Kitty arrives and starts a fight with B'Dg. Their tousle takes them into outer space where they meet up with the 4 member group of Yellow Lantern Dogs, a bunch of thugs, who overhear about Waves O' Fun and decide to descend upon it. B'dg and Dex-Star must join forces if they are to keep the water-park safe from these oafs. Ds had a hard time reading this book. He is a struggling reader and struggled with words he really does know. This is a continuing problem he faces. I helped him along quite a bit with the reading so that he wouldn't reach frustration level as he took to the book as soon as he saw it. He loved the action and the characters. He is a cat person, so found Dex-Starr to be his favourite character and thought his antics were funny. He thought the whole book was fun and enjoyed the action. Though he didn't appreciate the ending which implies that a superhero's work is never done. He wanted to see another battle (LOL). http://back-to-books.blogspot.com/2011/03/dc-super-pets-super-hero-splash-down.html
o celebrate the launch of "DC Super-Pets", Picture Window Books is sponsoring a writing contest for students in grades 1-3. Children enter the "My Pet is Super" contest by writing an article for an imaginary newspaper, The Daily Planet, about why their own pet is super. Art Baltazar will create an illustration of the winning Super-Pet that will appear in a future book in the DC Super-Pets series. The winning student will receive the original illustration as well as copies of the book. Authors of the top 50 entries in the contest will also win free books. For complete rules and to enter, visit www.CapstoneKids.com. The contest runs from January 15, 2011–February 28, 2011. The DC Super-Pets series features the crime-fighting adventures of the pets of favorite super heroes from beloved DC Comics: Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Green Lantern. These intrepid Super-Pets-Krypto the Super-Dog, Ace the Bat-Hound, Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, Jumpa the Super-Kangaroo, and their friends save the day and foil the evil plans of the universe’s most dastardly super villains. The books have been specially designed for children just learning to read independently. Included in the endpapers are illustrations of all the Super-Pets in the series (both heroes and villains), jokes, and a guide to the meaning and pronunciation for each book’s most challenging words. The first six books in the series are illustrated by Eisner Award-winning DC Comics artist Art Baltazar.
Capstone has launched DC Super-Pets, a new line of chapter books for early readers, and they are adorable. With art by Art Baltazar, who illustrates DC’s Tiny Titans line, each book tells the story of an iconic superhero’s pet: Batman’s Ace the Bat-Hound, Superman’s Beppo the Super-Money, and Supergirl’s Streaky the Super-Cat. The animal companions of Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman also get to tell their own stories. Unlike Tiny Titans, which relies heavily on the actual series for storylines and gags, the Super-Pets books are accessible to new readers, and each starts with a little infographic about the pet and its superhero companion. Background information is introduced throughout the story, so even a reader who has never seen superheroes before can enjoy these books. http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/goodcomicsforkids/2011/02/14/capstone-launches-super-pets-line-with-contest/
Good Comics for Kids Blog
You root for Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and even Aquaman. You love to hate The Penguin and Catwoman. But what about their pets? What do they do all day? Lounge in the sun? Nah. Apparently they’re quite busy. There is a new series of books out which is centered around the adventures of the Super Pets of the heroes and villains of DC comics. The first six books of the 24 book series are now available and are aimed at grades 1-3, with plenty of colorful artwork and a second grade reading level. To get a feel for the series, check out the book trailer. Each story contains an exciting adventure, jokes, definitions, and a guide to all the pets of the DC Super Pets. The books definitely have a Superfriends kind of feel, for those of you who watched that show back in the 1970s. (It sure was one of my favorites.) Books have plenty of bolded words and interspersed onomatopoeia, like in the old Batman series (“Kapow!”), which really gives a sense of action. Each book has usually at least a couple of good pets, and often at least two bad pets. There are plenty of happy endings and lots of saving the day. To me, the books are a lot of good fun. To my son in the first grade, they’re pet-rific (his word). He especially loves the jokes. The series’s publisher, Capstone, is also sponsoring the My Pet is Super! writing contest that goes through the end of February. Kids in grades 1-3 are asked to write a newspaper article about their pet for The Daily Planet. The writer of the winning submission will have his or her pet drawn by Art Baltazar, the illustrator for the series, and have the pet appear in a future book in the series. The winner and his or her school will also receive books. For complete rules and to enter the writing contest, visit the Capstone Kids website. The DC Super Pets books retail for $4.95 each. They’re cartoony, superhero fun for early elementary kids. http://www.geekmom.com/2011/02/animals-save-the-day-with-dc-super-pets-plus-a-writing-contest/
Here’s a quick review of DC’s Red Lantern Corps concept, introduced by Geoff Johns and company in 2007: Long ago, The Guardians of the Universe created an android army to police all of an existence, but a glitch in their programming caused them to commit genocide in “Sector 666,” killing all of the billions who lived there save five. These five formed a terrorist cell, and eventually one of them, named Atrocitus, killed the other four and used the power of his anger and need for revenge to form the Red Lantern Corps. They wield the red energy of rage, and becoming a Red Lantern involves expelling all of the blood in the body, replacing the beating heart with the ring itself, and then pumping a sort of gory, acidic, liquid energy through the veins, which is often spit and vomited out as a weapon. If you’ve only a passing familiarity with Green Lantern comics, the Red Lanterns are the characters you see puking blood on the covers. So, perfect for little kids, right? One might not think so, but artist Art Baltazar seems to have developed a knack for turning some of the modern DC Universe’s least all-ages concept into kid-friendly gold, as he demonstrates monthly in his Tiny Titans comic (Wherein Dr. Light is a science teacher, Deathstroke a elementary school principal and all the minor Titans characters brutally murdered in the pages of Teen Titans live in perfect harmony). Baltazar gets his drawing hands on Red Lantern Dex-Starr, The Red Lantern who is also a house cat, in Super Hero Splash Down, one of the DC Super-Pets line of heavily-illustrated prose books for younger readers (Each are about 50 pages long, consist of three chapters, and have big, comic book sound effects embedded in the paragraphs, making for fun books to read aloud). As the artist, Baltazar is the most recognizable creator behind the line—and many of the animal characters have previously appeared in his Tiny Titans series—but there’s a writer attached to each of the six books publisher Capstone has released so far: J.E. Bright, Jane B. Mason and Jon Sazaklis and Sarah Stephens. In the story featuring the Red Lantern cat, space chipmunk B’dg (Pronounced “Badge”; he replaced the dead Ch’p in DC continuity) is relaxing at a water park when he runs afoul of another attendee, Dex-Starr. They initially fight, but have to set aside their differences to protect the water park from greater threats like the Sinestro Dog Corps (A pack of dogs with yellow power rings, obviously) and Orange Lantern Larfleeeze’s sidekick Glomulus (who Baltazar actually drew in a DC comic before, in a back-up strip that appeared in Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1). Obviously there’s no talk of genocide, and no blood-puking—Dex-Starr doesn’t even drool red acid blood-spit. I’ve only been able to track down two other books from local libraries so far—Pooches of Power! and The Fastest Pet on Earth. In the first, Ace the Bat-Hound teams up with Krypto the Super-Dog to crack a case on the Gotham City docks involving The Penguin and his three hench-birds (all of whom wear adorable little top hats and bow ties like their boss). In the second, Wonder Woman’s kanga mount Jumpa must protect a magical golden turtle from Chauncey, The Cheetah’s trained cheetah. If you’ve read or been around comics for very long, you can probably rattle off the names of plenty of pre-existing Super-Pets, like a few of those mentioned above, or the Super-Family’s menagerie of red-caped animals Streaky, Beppo and Comet, or Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. What’s rather remarkable about these Super-Pets books is how huge a pool of characters Baltazaar and company have found. Here’s what the inside covers of each book look like, for example: You’ll see plenty of Silver Age-born pet sidekicks, some quite obscure (Like the members of the Space Canine Patrol Agency, Krypto’s equivalent of the Legion of Super-Heroes), some Golden Age “pets” (like the aforementioned Hoppy and
On the other hand, you have the Super Pets, which are not only adorable beyond belief, but they're actual prose novels for kids. The books are light hearted, fun, and wonderfully illustrated by Tiny Titans artist Art Baltazar, perfect for young kids to pick up and read - or even be read at bed time. These books are set to be released soon, and having been given the opportunity to read a few of them, I must say that I wish I had a kid to share these with. If parents are looking for something to give their children in order to acclimate them into the DCU, this is that book. Do you love Green Lantern and the character Dex-Starr? Well, there's a whole book starring him and B'dg, a squirrel Green Lantern, who fight against the Sinestro Dog Corps at a water park. The book even includes a cameo from Glomulus, Larfleeze's favorite Orange Lantern. This title is absolutely perfect for any child who has even remotely showed interest in super heroes, let alone has a love for their pets! See, as much as we want to get kids into comics, we also need to give them good options for reading. While there are tons of great youth oriented books and novels (I fondly remember reading the Fudge books, personally), it's nice that in today's market, there are legitimate options for kids to bridge the gap between super heroics and reading traditional prose pieces. This is why a book series like Super Pets or the comic Tiny Titans is so great. There is no linear timeline, no overbearing plot. These are stories that can simply be picked up, read, and enjoyed, and that's what kids with All Ages need before we can really worry about trying to explain to them Blackest Night and Brightest Day. I'm happy to give my nephew a copy of a book like Bone, which is a wonderful comic, because as he grows older this is the kind of comic he'll enjoy. But in an attempt to "get them while they're young," I'd rather give a kid DC's Royal Rodent Rescue, starring Streaky (not currently around in the DCU) than I would try and give them most any other comic on the shelf at the moment - including Thor: The Mighty Avenger. http://www.multiversitycomics.com/2011/01/friday-recommendation-tiny-titans-and.html
I'm a big proponent of getting kids to read comics but their choices are slim when compared to what adults are offered in the medium. So when I heard Capstone Publishers was teaming with DC to put out DC Super-Pets I was ecstatic! Then I got to read them and was filled with joy usually reserved for 8-year-olds. Here's why... The first six books in the series were released last month and are all drawn by Eisner Award-winning artist Art Baltazar. You're probably already familiar with his work on Tiny Titans. The guy is just plain awesome and he doesn't disappoint here. In fact, he ups the cuteness quotient by a lot. There's a whole menagerie of animals for Baltazar to choose from and one is cuter than the next. I'll start off with the obvious book for me, Super Hero Splash Down starring B'dg the Green Lantern and Dex-Starr the angry Red Lantern. Written by Jane Mason, this was the first one I read because Dex is my favorite. The story follows the antics of the two at a water park, which is surprising considering cats don't like water. Well, of course that comes into play. There's a lot of horsing around but eventually a superhero team-up is called for when some Sinestro Dog Corps invade the park. You'd think The Fastest Pet on Earth would star The Flash's companion but no, actually this book is all about Wonder Woman's trusty Kanga named Jumpa. Written by J.E. Bright, the story revolves around Jumpa having to protect a special Golden tortoise from Chauncey, Cheetah's cheetah on Paradise Island. Jumpa has just as much bravery and fight in her as Wonder Woman and uses not only her power but her wits to outsmart the villain. Midway Monkey Madness is filled with familiar DC characters. Written by Sarah Hines Stephens, it stars Beppo the super-monkey, the Wonder Twins Jayna and Zan, Gleek and Gorilla Grodd. Grodd decides to cause some havoc at a local carnival and Beppo makes sure everyone gets to safety while he and the rest of the heroes figure out how to stop him. Writer Bright also took on Aquaman's giant seahorse storm in Heroes of the High Seas. He stars along with Topo the octopus, Ark the sealion plus Black Manta and his pets Misty and Sneazers. I couldn't figure out what Misty and Sneezers were at first but turns out they're manta rays! This was one of my favorites out of the bunch because a lot of players got together and each had a very specific job to overcome their problem. Pooches of Power features the two most famous super pets, Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Super-Dog. Hines Stephens also writes this tale in which the dogs go up against the Penguins animal companions, the Bad News Birds. Ace and Krypto must put a stop to thievery taking place at the local sardine factory before the Penguin can escape his own justice. And Bruce Wayne/Batman makes a guest appearance to congratulate his pooch. And last but not least, because it's actually my favorite, Royal Rodent Rescue by John Sazaklis stars not one but TWO felines. Streaky the super-cat and Rozz, the evil Siamese of Catwoman. This story almost puts the villain in the starring role as Rozz decides to head off to Metropolis on her own in search of thievery while Catwoman is stealing in Gotham. Streaky must intervene with the slinky cat kidnaps and royal hamster. Yup, you heard me, a royal hamster. And the fight is not an easy one as Rozz got her paws on some Kryptonite! Each book (all around 50 pages long) includes a rundown of the characters appearing in the book, a stats page of the star, knock-knock jokes and a page with definitions of some of the tougher or more unfamiliar words that appear. The front and rear of each book also holds a mural of all the super pets we'll see in the series. And let me tell you, we've only hit the tip of the iceberg. I can't wait to see some of these other pets in action. Although the book is called DC Super-Pets, it's important to note that most, if not all of the "pets" view themselves as friends or companions of the
Capstone Kids has released a new series of fun books geared towards early readers. The books were created in conjunction with comic book giant, DC, to bring about a new series: DC Super-Pets! They stories include characters like Super-Pet Beppo who is Superman's pet Monkey, along with many other clever characters. They have a comic book feel detailing the character and showing action words and sound effects in big and colorful ways that grab your attention. Right now your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Grade aged children can enter a "My Pet is Super Contest" where the child is asked to write an imaginary newspaper article about their Super-Pet and how he/she did something extraordinary! Entries will be judged on creativity, content, and originality! The top 50 entrants will each receive 2 free DC Super-Pets Books, one for the student and one for their school library. There will also be a first place winner who will win the prize of being drawn into a DC Super-Pets book and will receive the original illustration! The first place winner and their school will also win 5 copies each of the book! The contest ends on 2/28/11. I was able to review the first six books in this series. I think these books are fabulous! Both of my boys were instantly extremely interested in them and they held their attention while I read the story. I pointed to the words for my 4 year old to follow along and had him read me the few words he is beginning to learn as we came across them. I believe he will be able to begin reading most the words sometime next year. At 4 he is still a little bit young to read them independently. However, I think these books are great for getting young children interested in reading and eager to try it on their own. Every page has full color illustrations that really seem to pop off the page they are so bold! I absolutely love the comic book feel of the fun text popping out at you on each page. These books retail for $4.95/each and you can find them in bookstores locally as well as on Amazon . http://www.amomstake.com/2011/02/dc-super-pets-books-contest-review.html
Picture Window Books (a division of Capstone) proudly released the first six books in the "DC Super-Pets!" series in January. I was lucky enough to receive all six books: The Fastest Pet on Earth , Heroes of the High Seas , Midway Monkey Madness , Pooches of Power! , Royal Rodent Rescue , and Super Hero Splash Down . The books are a lot of fun. The each begin with a profile page of the main Super Pet featured in the book, outlining the character's particular super powers or gadgets. The page also gives a brief background origin story and who their superhero owner is. A three chapter story is the main content of the book. While the stories are simplistic and obviously aimed at young children under the age of 10, the illustrations are colorful and full of energy. While the story focuses on one particular super-pet, they're usually joined by other super-pets or super-friends. For example, Beppo the Super Monkey is joined by Zan, Jayne and Gleek to battle Gorilla Grodd. Ace the Bat-Hound is joined by Krypto the Super Dog to take on Penguin's Bad News Birds. The Super-Pet's owners do sometimes make cameo appearances, but the books aren't about them, the focus is definitely on the Super-Pets themselves. Each book finishes with the same two-page spread showcasing all the Super-Pets and Super-Villain-Pets featured in the series. Forty four in total... Twenty two of each. The books also contain a jokes page, and a "Word Power" page which gives the definition of some of the harder words found in the story. Finally the books close out with a bio on both the writer and artist of that particular book. All six books in the original release are illustrated by Eisner Award-winner Art Baltazar. The writing duties are shared between Sarah Hines Stephens, John Sazaklis, Jane Mason, and J.E. Bright. Anyone looking to introduce their young child to the world of superheroes could do a lot worse than pick up the initial six-book run of the new "DC Super-Pets!" series. http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php
Capstone Publishers and DC Comics have joined forces to produce a new children’s books series, DC Super-Pets. The series will focus on the super-powered pets of heroes like Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Green Lantern. Art Baltazar will illustrate the project. The first six of the 24 books will be available this month. The titles include: The Fastest Pet on Earth, Heroes of the High Seas, Midway Monkey Madness, Pooches of Power, Royal Rodent Rescue, and Super Hero Splash Down. Here’s more from the release: “These intrepid Super-Pets—Krypto the Super-Dog, Ace the Bat-Hound, Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, Jumpa the Super-Kangaroo, and their friends—save the day and foil the evil plans of the universe’s most dastardly super villains. The books have been specially designed for children just learning to read independently.” http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/dc-comics-capstone-launch-dc-super-pets-series_b20588
There’s an undeniable appeal in the idea of superheroes, especially to kids– the ability for good to reign supreme over evil, all those powers, the awesome gadgets and costumes! The major superheroes are well-known, but with a new series, the attention turns to the animals who work with the heroes we all know and love. DC Super-Pets! brings to life a large cast of superhero pets, from Batman’s pal Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Super-Dog friend of Superman, to Wonder Woman’s Kangaroo Jumpa and B’Dg, The Green Lantern’s Space Chipmunk, among others. The first six books of the series have released in January aimed at children in grades one to three, including Pooches of Power, Midway Monkey Madness, Super Hero Splash Down, Heroes of the High Seas, The Fastest Pet on Earth, and Royal Rodent Rescue. These short chapter books are geared toward newly independent readers, with brightly colored illustrations incorporated throughout the text, although I have to say that my younger children have been fascinated by the books and keep begging to hear the stories. Each adventure sees a super-pet or two working to defeat the actions of the super-villain pets. Oh yes, some of the most well-known villains also have pets, and they need to be stopped! The story lines are creative and appropriate for young children, yet still filled with action and adventure. Also included at the end of each book are pages with silly jokes and definitions for the most challenging words from the text. http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/12359/dc-super-pets/
