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This is a discussion topic for the July 2018 Book of the Month, "Toni the Superhero" by R.D. Base. What is your overall opinion of Toni the Superhero? What do you like most about it? What do you like least? Will you recommend the book to other people? Why or why not?

Please remember to add your actual rating using the book's page on Bookshelves.

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars. My reasoning for this is because I considered it a perfect first read for small children as it is attractive, entertaining and persuasive in a literary way. It is a book I would recommend to young parents to help develop reading skills in children. It is well written and makes good use of all its resources which is great.

I rated this book 4 stars. I love the illustrations, they were colourful and energetic and I like the detail of the depth measurement on the swimming pool. I thought the repetitive nature of the prose would appeal to very young children who can say the first part of the line with confidence and then only have to struggle with the second part. Matching his healthy lifestyle with a superman image was a very good idea. There was nothing about this book that I didn’t like.

I have read and reviewed this book. I gave it 4 out of 4 stars because I thought it was a very good book for little children to start with. There's not much text in the book and the pictures are well drawn. With the pictures like these, little children can develop reading and speaking skills while using their own imagination as well.

I enjoyed the book and was initially thinking it was worthy of the top rating. But since I had to write a review, I wore my Hitler mustache and sniffed some more. Alas, my rating fell a step lower. I'm still psyching myself up to write my review. But Toni, he's still my Little Black Panther.

I read and did a review on this book. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed looking at the illustrations while reading the book. I found the illustrations to be my favorite thing about the book. I didn't like that the author didn't include Toni actually using his superpowers. I would recommend this book to parents who have young children who are just learning how to read.

I understand that this is a book for small children. Trust me, I get it, this is a product meant for children who have just mastered the art of toilet training. I didn't go into it expecting grand character development or plot. I wasn't even expecting much substance.

This was nothing. I've read books for this age-set before, and those had small plots and characters. Sesame Street has a whole library of books aimed at this market, and they all have fun illustrations and a basic story structure. And yet Toni is getting 4 star reviews across the board? What?

I wouldn't show this book to my kids, regardless of how young they were. They deserve better. Why are people going nuts over this thing? I just don't understand. The illustrations are sloppy, there are no morals, there is just nothing there. What is the appeal?

I gave it 1 out of 4. I found it shallow, and there are so many better options out there for its age bracket. The illustrations didn't do it for me, I felt like they had the artistic merit of Microsoft clip art.

It's inoffensive but there's no substance to it. I personally wouldn't give it to my kid.

I rated this book as two. I think it's just been done too much - already.
I had seen the story before.
I had seen the character before.
I had seen the narrative before.

I love this book! I actually plan on teaching a few ESL classes in the near future to some kids and I plan on using it as a teaching tool. The way it's written and illustrated works so that non-English speakers can use it too, and I adore that.

Helen_Combe wrote: ↑01 Jul 2018, 03:48 I rated this book 4 stars. I love the illustrations, they were colourful and energetic and I like the detail of the depth measurement on the swimming pool. I thought the repetitive nature of the prose would appeal to very young children who can say the first part of the line with confidence and then only have to struggle with the second part. Matching his healthy lifestyle with a superman image was a very good idea. There was nothing about this book that I didn’t like.

I agree, Helen!

It was a great book. The concept was terrific, but I loved the illustrations. They just popped off the page and showcased the kind of energy a little boy would have - even if he's not a superhero!

I thought the book was just short of perfect. I rated it a 4 out of 4.

Toni is the picture of a 5 or 6 year old, doing everything with exuberance and joy. The fact that he is a "superhero" just reflects the wonder that young children bring to everyday activities which adults would consider mundane.

The illustrations popped off the pages and practically vibrated with gusto. My favorite was Toni and his mom dancing together. I just wanted to dance right along.

I read to my son every night before bed and if I had a little one to read to now, I would buy this in paperback.

The only thing I didn't like was the repetitive nature of the sentences. "I like" started the majority of them and I see no reason not to change it up a little. Children learn by hearing and adding a little variety could only help their learning process.

I rated this book a 3 out of 4 stars. One of the key elements in any children's book is the size of the font. I thought the font in this book was lost in the fantastic graphics used in the story (they were superb). The author needs to work on this otherwise the book was ok.

I have yet to write my review for this book, but I believe I will be giving it 3 out of 4 stars. If this is the first book in a series about Toni the SUPERHERO and that is the title of this particular book, then I believe Base should have depicted Toni as a superhero in this first book rather than an everyday kid. She could have given the series this title and named the first book something else so as not to lead readers to think we are getting a more traditional superhero narrative. I also don't think the "Toni likes to rescue animals" was in keeping with the other things he likes to do. It gives the impression the author is going to provide a list of superhero activities, but she actually starts listing things kids do with friends for fun and chores they might do around the house. I also think the age group targeted is probably 2-4 year olds, those whose parents are starting to teach them to read. However, the chores that Toni does are not things kids of that age would do. They would do things like pick up their toys. Dusting? I doubt it.

I like the lessons that Base is going for though. I think the idea of using a superhero as a role model for good behaviors parents would like their kids to follow is wonderful. Afterall, many of us adults really love superhero tv shows, movies, and stories.

I do like the illustrations. They are simple and bright. I think children might enjoy picking out items in the pictures and indicating what they are called.

This is just a personal nitpick, Toni with an "i" is a female Toni, Tony with a "y" is a male Toni. I don't really understand that.