Good Morning, Superman! by Michael Dahl

Rating: WARTY!

I would have liked to have rated this positively. I like to do that with children's books, but although I hold them, in some ways, to a less exacting standard than I do more mature work, I cannot dispense with all standards, and I have to rate this one negatively because I feel it sends the wrong messages. I did like the beautiful art by Omar Lozano - bold, bright, and colorful, but the book isn't a coffee table book. It's supposed to offer a message, and that's where the problem lay.

On the one hand it features an African American kid, of which see see far too few in children's books, but having offered that, it makes the kid subservient to an heroic white guy. There are no heroes of color we could have chosen here? The first real problem, however, was that in his haste to be heroic, the kid abandons his breakfast, spilling the bowl and leaving his dirty dishes and a banana skin on the table. This is the kind of responsibility we want our kids to learn? Not mine.

Brushing his teeth is presented as one of the boy's greatest fears which must be overcome instead of, as it could have been shown, a way of adding to his super powers by protecting his teeth. Just as Supergirl is shown as Superman's assistant, the kid's little sister is presented in the subordinate position of bringing him his lunch box. Slavery anyone?

I'm sorry, but while I can see what was being attempted here, this felt wrong-headed in so many ways that I cannot in good faith recommend it as a worthy read.

No More Pacifier Duck by Michael Dahl

Title: No More Pacifier Duck
Author: Michael Dahl
Publisher: Capstone Publishing
Rating: WORTHY!

Illustrated by Oriol Vidal.

This is a charmingly illustrated children's book designed to talk feisty and obstinate youngsters into giving up the pacifier. I can speak from personal experience of this since the oldest of my two sons was distinctly loathe to liberate himself! Maybe I was too at his age. Hilariously, he's also now (as a teenager), completely given to bizarre, out-of-context and off-the-wall sayings, a favorite of which is "I like Ducks". I haven't been able to persuade him to read this particular book, I'm sorry to say!

The villainous creature who seeks to duck his responsibilities here is a wild and crazy little guy, but he isn't as yellow as he's painted, and he is determined. His mother, however, is even more determined than is he. Who will quack first? I suspect most parents won't have quite the easy time his mom does in their efforts to break the addiction, but you cannot fault her for her effort and dedication.

Her method is to gently, but firmly, and consistently, wean him at every opportunity. Every time he's sucking on the pacifier, no matter what he's doing, mom is there to dissuade him, moving him steadily away from it by inches and finally, she succeeds like a beakless sparrow.

The drawings are simplistic but they don't suck! They're entirely appropriate for the age this is aimed at, and they're colorful and attractive. I don't doubt that children who feel oppressed will identify with the little duck and hopefully, in doing so, will show that they are growing up, just as the duck is, and no longer need the pacifier. I liked this story and recommend it.