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[Following is a volunteer review of "Toni the Superhero" by R.D. Base.]

Teaching a child to read is one of the most gratifying experiences that a person can accomplish. It isn't just merely learning how to pronounce the words on a page, but it's a lifelong skill that will open doors of opportunity that only literacy can provide. Time spent snuggling up reading a story is well worth it when the theme is centered on a character who demonstrates good behavior for little ones to imitate.

In her book, Toni the Superhero, R.D. Base has put together highly colorful illustrations to draw the eyes to the page as a sentence is read out loud. The author has gone out of her way to make this as basic as possible to not intimidate those who are just discovering the joy of books. Toni, the main character, wears a brightly colored red cape, yellow boots, sunglasses, gloves and his blue super suit sports a capital T. The cover of the book gives a hint to some of the objects that he will encounter along the way.

I liked many different aspects of this book. First, I found Toni to be an excellent helper to society. He assists a cat out of a tree and is shown in a few scenes doing chores around the house. Instead of focusing on himself, he supports others. Toni's actions seem to be self-motivated, and he is always right where he should be without being asked. This gives the impression that no matter how young a person is, he or she can be useful. Second, Toni engages in positive activities. He eats healthy meals, swimming is his choice of exercise, and the reader sees him standing next to a stack of books that indicates he is a voracious reader. All of this reinforces the idea that there are options in life, so why not chose those that are beneficial? Toni looks slightly older than the children this book was designed for, and often, kids will look up to someone who they believe is advanced in age and want to be just like him.

There was only one word that I questioned as far as the comprehension for the age group in which this is intended. Toni is holding out his hand to give a cat the opportunity to climb down from a tree, and the author uses the word 'rescue.' I am not sure that a child would understand the depth of it, but I don't want to underestimate the intellect of our youth. With repetition of sight and sound, it could be possible to get the meaning across. A more simple sentence might have been: Toni likes pets to be safe. Other than that, I thought all the other word choices were appropriate, and I did not see any errors as the author has taken great care in writing and proofreading.

While this book has many good qualities, I would only offer a recommendation in that the author considers making it more interactive. If the idea is to inspire youngsters to read or repeat the phrases, then maybe the last word of each sentence could be hidden, and when the adult gets to that part of the sentence, the child would be able to lift up a flap to reveal the hidden word. I have done this with kids, and it seems to be a universal thrill to have a book that requires them to participate in this manner.

This book and more to follow are geared for those who cannot read on their own. For an older child who has already mastered more than simple sentences, this would not be for him or her. However, reading to a younger sibling using this material would be a great way to make use of this book. I am giving a 4 out of 4 stars for the ease with which this story is told to inspire children to not only learn how to read but how to be kind-hearted people.

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Toni the Superhero
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A book that not only focuses on the daily activities of a superhero, but also teaches kids to read sounds like a good read for kids. Adding colorful illustrations to draw the kids is another plus. Making the book interactive is a great idea due to the lack of an actual plot. I am not the target audience, but I am glad you enjoyed the book. Thank you for the review!

Thanks for this review, I was thinking about what to give my nephew since he’s starting kindergarten and this book is the perfect for him to not only let him start reading early on. But to let him read about good manners, doing chores, eating healthy, and being there for others. Definitely will be ordering this book for him.

Wow, great review! Looking forward to giving this book a try. Ive been looking to reading something a little less serious and this one piques my curiosity. Thanks for the review, girl!

I love the idea behind this book! A superhero that can be used to teach children how to read is great. My nephew would love this so much and I can't wait to share it with him.

wow , a very interesting story of a superhero which i must share with my younger sibling who loves such superhero's

How adorable! A book that teaches children that even superheroes are great helpers, eat healthy meals, exercise, and read. This is wonderful to teach children, especially in a colorfully-illustrated format. It's great to hear that you found the word choices to be appropriate, even with the word, "rescue". Too bad that the book wasn't more interactive, but I'm glad that you still found it to be beneficial for early learners. I love that this can teach youngsters how to be kind-hearted people. Thank you for the lovely review!

This is one incredible children's' book. Well articulated and written to capture and keep the child's' imagination. Great review.

Very nice story. It helps our children in their routine life how they can be helpful to others. I prefer parents should also read the story and share with their children also

This is a very interesting children's book that will help in pronunciations and modelling good reading habits. I rated the book 3 out of 4 stars and would recommend that readers should first read the incredible onlinebookclub review.

I also read this book and am about to submit my own review. Toni is indeed the superhero to emulate for the little ones.

A picture book, for me, is a joint effort of the author and the illustrator. Both are to be commended for this charming book. Congratulations, R.D. Base and Debbie Hefke!

I gave a review of this book. Mothers who want their children to have an early start on reading will benefit from this book due to its simplicity and colorful images.

From the review i like the idea behind it, its a book that attract children because of the super hero character and also teaches them how to read. I think my litt cousin would love it

I loved this book and I think your review is spot on in its analysis. The idea about the flaps is a good one and I would endorse it also. Thanks for your review.

I read and reviewed this book, too. I enjoyed the brightly colored pictures. I especially liked that all his friends looked different.