Charlie's Superhero Underpants
PreSchool-Grade 2—When Charlie's scarlet underpants blow away with the rest of the laundry, he begins a whimsical, whirlwind world tour to find the precious garment that says "POW!" in front and "KERZAP!" "OOF!" and "SPLAT!" in back. Wildish's humorous illustrations capture the streets of Paris, the Serengeti plain, a Peruvian plateau, the waters of the Mississippi, and the mountains of Nepal, where a Yeti is found wearing Charlie's underwear. The boy negotiates a deal with the hairy beast, trading a woolen cap for the one item of clothing that makes him feel in charge. While Bright gets mileage out of the ever-popular superhero topic, his story is overly dependent on a clunky rhyme scheme and lacks character development. For titles that better explore the feelings of a small person struggling for some sense of power in the larger world, consider Caralyn Buehner'sSuperdog: The Heart of a Hero(HarperCollins, 2004), Udo Weigelt'sSuper Guinea Pig to the Rescue(Walker, 2007), or Viviane Schwarz'sTimothy and the Strong Pajamas(Scholastic, 2008).—Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.