Even Superheroes Have Bad Days by Shelley Becker – Book Review

From the Publisher:

When Superheroes don’t get their way,
when they’re sad, when they’re mad, when they’ve had a bad day . . .
. . . they COULD super-tantrum, they COULD but they DON’T,
because REAL Superheroes just WOULDN’T—they WON’T!

All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions, sometimes—even young superheroes! But what do they do when they’re having a bad day? Colorful action-packed illustrations and a dynamite rhyming text reveal the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can resist the super-temptation to cause a scene when they’re sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid. From burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others, this energetic picture book has plenty of fun ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

Description:

What do you do when you’re having a bad day? How do your feelings and emotions translate into the things you do and say? How about your kids? How do they deal with their ‘bad days’?
Most children nowadays are familiar with the concept of Superheroes. The brightly clad, larger than life characters show up in their books, movies, and even on their pajamas! Shelly Becker runs with this fad in her new book, “Even Superheroes Have Bad Days.” She’s taken something that is appealing to a large audience, added a life lesson, and made it fun and easy for kids to understand. Did you know that superheroes have bad days too? There’s a great many ‘bad’ things that they could easily do when their day starts off on the wrong side of the bed. But, because they are superheroes, they know how to control the ‘icky sticky’ things they are feeling and can channel it, instead, into doing good, beneficial things for themselves and others.
I think my favourite part about it, is that Becker highlights that it’s OKAY to have bad days. It’s okay to, “frown…to sigh…it’s even okay to slump down and cry. But then they get up and get on with their day…” It’s just not okay to ‘be bad’ even though you ‘feel bad.’ There’s a difference, and I think it’s important for kids to understand this.
I encourage you to pick this one up and read it together with your kids. You’ll all get a laugh at the superhero characters and the colorful pictures, and while your children may be learning something new, it’ll be a good reminder for you of something you might have forgotten along the way
Happy Reading!

About the Author & Illustrator:

Shelly Becker is the author of Mine! Mine! Mine! (Sterling), which has appeared on many “top 5” and “top 10” lists of books to teach the concept of “sharing” over the years (including newspapers, school libraries, the PBS/Sesame Street website, and more). In addition, Shelly has written more than 15 children’s novelty books for Tormont, and sold stories and poems to Highlights for Children and Hopscotch for Girls magazine. She lives in Montreal, Canada. (from publisher website)

Eda Kaban was born and raised in Turkey and studied illustration in the US. Her work can be seen in galleries throughout California and in a variety of publications. She has worked with clients such as Chronicle Books, Random House, Scholastic, Harper, Lufthansa Airlines, Mattel, and the Village Voice. Her illustrations have been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Creative Quarterly, and 3X3. She lives in San Francisco, CA, and when she’s not drawing, you can find her biking the hills of the Bay Area with her husband. (from publisher website)