Toni the Superhero: Subtle Moral Lessons

Use this forum to discuss the July 2018 Book of the Month "Toni the Superhero" by R.D. Base
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Samy Lax
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Re: Toni the Superhero: Subtle Moral Lessons

Post by Samy Lax »

Lolababs94 wrote: 01 Jul 2018, 09:59 Did anyone else notice how the author introduced subtle moral lessons?
Your immediate perception of a superhero is someone with super powers. Toni is introduced as a superhero, not just because he has super powers, but also because he helps out in the house, does his chores, etc.

What do you think of this? And, do you think this is something that children authors can adopt in their writing?
Calling someone a superhero 'cuz he/she helps people - even our mothers at home - is a great way to teach children good habits.
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Post by Riszell »

I think everyone can be a superhero, with or without supernatural powers. :)
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cpru68
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Post by cpru68 »

I like that when introducing a superhero to young kids, they can actually emulate what Toni does around the house. I think it gives kids a sense of personal empowerment to start now to help out as the goal of being a superhero is within their reach. It doesn't necessarily take extra ordinary powers to be a superhero, and it allows kids to begin to think about the chores that are being done around the house and why. For example, why do we wash the dishes? If no one washed the dishes, we would either have to eat off of disgusting dirty ones, or have nothing to eat on. So, in a simple way, she is bringing awareness to children without making it pushy. How many parents have to hound their kids to do chores? (my hand would have popped right up during my child rearing days) In a quiet, non-abrasive way, this author has subtly shown children how to be helpers, and I must say, it is never too early to establish this good habit!
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Post by Eileen R »

I personally appreciated how it emphasized on ordinary everyday things and put them in a positive light.
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Post by Dahmy 10 »

I think the subtle lesson in this book is that it really isn't super powers that makes a superhero - because that wasn't given any voice at all - but about finding joy in doing ordinary things.
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Post by N_R »

It is interesting to think about the way that we can convey moral messages to children through books.
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Post by Gikonyo Caroline »

I think depicting Toni as a superhero who does ordinary activities is a creative idea to teach children what being a type hero means. This is very important because we live in an age where we worship certain people who we admire and call heroes and perceive them as demigods. I think it is great for kids to learn that heroes are humans too and doing ordinary things like house chores which would be frowned upon and not hughly regarded is indeed a heroic act. I would recommend other authors to write to instill such lifetime values.
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Post by MishM1 »

Most children's literature have moral lessons attached. It was passed down through oral history, fables etc that people should learn lessons from stories. That's why as kids our teachers probably asked us, "What is the moral of the story." However, I agree that the concept of a superhero being interested in everyday chores and helpfulness is excellent. Children need to learn that being great and mighty in the big things is born out of being great and mighty in the little things. Superheroes learned the value of saving and helping people because as children they were taught the importance and necessity to serve in the little things. Tony the Superhero is a great book!
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Post by lesler »

Yes, I believe the subtle moral lessons were intentional, and as a teacher I really appreciate this. Words matter, especially the words that emergent readers who will be reading this book repeatedly is important.
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Post by crediblereading2 »

Doing adult chores at his age definitely makes him a super boy.
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Post by emkinney4 »

I believe the lesson goes both ways: you can be a superhero by doing small acts of kindness, such as chores around the house or holding open a door for a stranger, but it also shows us that even the people we admire the most do similar, everyday tasks like we do, and are more similar to us than we may think.
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Post by Harzelryan »

bookowlie wrote: 01 Jul 2018, 10:14 I actually viewed the story differently. I thought Toni was a superhero with superpowers. At the beginning of the story, it states that he is a superhero and shows him flying. I took this statement at face value. In my opinion, the story showed that even superheroes do normal, routine activities. It reminds me of photos where you see a celebrity going to the grocery story without makeup and wearing sweatpants - just like other people. :)
I really agree with you superheroes should live a normal life this is a very good moral lesson to the children.
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Post by Harzelryan »

bookowlie wrote: 01 Jul 2018, 10:14 I actually viewed the story differently. I thought Toni was a superhero with superpowers. At the beginning of the story, it states that he is a superhero and shows him flying. I took this statement at face value. In my opinion, the story showed that even superheroes do normal, routine activities. It reminds me of photos where you see a celebrity going to the grocery story without makeup and wearing sweatpants - just like other people. :)
I agree with you superheroes should live normal like. This piece will be a very good moral lesson to the children.
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Post by OloladeO »

Children see chores as a burden and mostly do them grudgingly, I know I did. I can't wait for my baby to grow up and read this. I definitely need all the help I can get! Ha!
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Post by Yoli García »

Yes, I noticed it. Toni likes to dust, help, and sweep. I think that the little readers will want to emulate him, which is important because children need to learn about chores and helping others.
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