Review by Helen_Combe -- Toni the Superhero by R.D. Base

[Helen_Combe]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Toni The Superhero by R. D. Base is a charming book designed to be read out loud to children up to the age of 4 years. It is beautifully illustrated in vivid colours and the sentences are very short. Most follow the format ‘Toni likes to’, followed by an action. This is perfect for children of that age as they enjoy repetition and predictable patterns.

I love the reverse focus of this book. Usually the story would be about Toni saving the world with his superpowers. However, this author has no interest in that aspect of his life and centres instead on his day-to-day activities.

Toni’s lifestyle is very healthy. He eats fruit and vegetables, he takes exercise, he reads books, helps with the housework, gets his sleep, and is kind to animals. I particularly like how he interacts with other people, dancing with his mum as well as helping around the house and playing with his friends. In fact, this book is all about the important things that people should aim to achieve, rather than aspiring to be able to fly or lift lorries.

R. D. Base has actually made a better job of finding an ambassador than the United Nations did when they appointed Wonder Woman. I remember how angry I was when I found that young women were now supposed to aspire to having superpowers as well as being beautiful. Toni, on the other hand, has superpowers but aspires to being a worthwhile, healthy and loving human being. Eat your heart out, Wonder Woman.

Personally, I suspect that Toni isn’t a superhero at all, but is in fact a sweet little boy with a superhero costume. But don’t tell him that, or the child to whom this is being read. This is a secret that the adults can keep for their own enjoyment, along with Father Christmas and the tooth fairy.

I appreciated the way the swimming pool has ‘4ft’ written on the side to ensure that it is safe; I thought that was a nice touch. I also love the way nearly all of Toni’s activities are captured in the illustration on the book cover. I had fun linking them to their respective pages, so I’m sure that a child will get equal and possibly even more entertainment from it.

I have no criticisms of this book and am delighted to rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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Toni the Superhero
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Like Helen_Combe's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Bianka Walter]

R. D. Base has actually made a better job of finding an ambassador than the United Nations did when they appointed Wonder Woman.

I love this! It gave me a good laugh. Well done on an awesome review! I thoroughly enjoyed it

[Helen_Combe]

R. D. Base has actually made a better job of finding an ambassador than the United Nations did when they appointed Wonder Woman.

I love this! It gave me a good laugh. Well done on an awesome review! I thoroughly enjoyed it

Thank you very much!

[PaigeA]

Interesting review. Thanks for posting! I don't exactly understand why you don't like Wonder Woman.

[Helen_Combe]

Interesting review. Thanks for posting! I don't exactly understand why you don't like Wonder Woman.

I don’t dislike Wonder Woman, I disliked it when the United Nations elected her as role model for young women. She’s fictional. She hasn’t achieved anything in the real world. The United Nations should be able to find a real woman to be a role model. To have to resort to fictional characters implies that there are no worthy women.

[PaigeA]

Interesting review. Thanks for posting! I don't exactly understand why you don't like Wonder Woman.

I don’t dislike Wonder Woman, I disliked it when the United Nations elected her as role model for young women. She’s fictional. She hasn’t achieved anything in the real world. The United Nations should be able to find a real woman to be a role model. To have to resort to fictional characters implies that there are no worthy women.

Oh. Now I see what you mean. Yes. That is disheartening.

[Libs_Books]

R. D. Base has actually made a better job of finding an ambassador than the United Nations did when they appointed Wonder Woman. I remember how angry I was when I found that young women were now supposed to aspire to having superpowers as well as being beautiful. Toni, on the other hand, has superpowers but aspires to being a worthwhile, healthy and loving human being. Eat your heart out, Wonder Woman.

Personally, I suspect that Toni isn’t a superhero at all, but is in fact a sweet little boy with a superhero costume. But don’t tell him that, or the child to whom this is being read. This is a secret that the adults can keep for their own enjoyment, along with Father Christmas and the tooth fairy.

Loving the analysis here - thanks for a wise and witty review.

[Helen_Combe]

R. D. Base has actually made a better job of finding an ambassador than the United Nations did when they appointed Wonder Woman. I remember how angry I was when I found that young women were now supposed to aspire to having superpowers as well as being beautiful. Toni, on the other hand, has superpowers but aspires to being a worthwhile, healthy and loving human being. Eat your heart out, Wonder Woman.

Personally, I suspect that Toni isn’t a superhero at all, but is in fact a sweet little boy with a superhero costume. But don’t tell him that, or the child to whom this is being read. This is a secret that the adults can keep for their own enjoyment, along with Father Christmas and the tooth fairy.

Loving the analysis here - thanks for a wise and witty review.

Thank you, I wasn’t sure at first if having a rant about Wonder Woman was appropriate, but I’m glad I did

[Manang Muyang]

Wonder Woman as a role model would have led many women to depression, LOL! That's impossible to achieve, what with the 22-inch waistline and the lasso of truth (no more lying about age and weight, as well as cheating on diets). I'll go for Toni every time.

Thanks for a wonderfully entertaining review, Helen! And you still had time to think of Acanthisittidae!

[Helen_Combe]

Wonder Woman as a role model would have led many women to depression, LOL! That's impossible to achieve, what with the 22-inch waistline and the lasso of truth (no more lying about age and weight, as well as cheating on diets). I'll go for Toni every time.

Thanks for a wonderfully entertaining review, Helen! And you still had time to think of Acanthisittidae!

Yes, that

Thank you. Yes, that’s exactly how I felt about Wonder Woman.

Well you did ask for a challenging word.

[Alice Heritage]

Well you did ask for a challenging word.
[/quote]

That it was! On topic, I enjoyed your fabulous review which goes into the issues about heroism raised by the book.

[Helen_Combe]

Well you did ask for a challenging word.

That it was! On topic, I enjoyed your fabulous review which goes into the issues about heroism raised by the book.
[/quote]

Thank you very much

[Ashiyya Tariq]

Toni's heathy lifestyle, colorful illustrations and positive message makes it a valuable book for children. Thanks for your review.

[Helen_Combe]

Toni's heathy lifestyle, colorful illustrations and positive message makes it a valuable book for children. Thanks for your review.

Thank you

[P Reefer]

I quite enjoyed this review until the comparison with wonder woman. I think wonder woman will be happy for Toni though.