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Friday, December 26, 2014

The Day I Lost My Superpowers, written by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo. Translated by Claudia Bedrick and Kris Di Giacomo. Enchanted Lion Books, Publishers Group West. 2014. $20.95 ages 4 and up

"The day I discovered
I could fly, I knew that
I was special.

So I started practicing
nonstop to develop my
superpowers.

I had a few setbacks
at the start ..."

Oh, to be that child again who believes anything is possible. Given that Santa has been and gone, with nary a whisper of awe at his superpowers, it is no wonder that the young child who narrates this book by the talented and very creative Michael Escoffier sees herself with abilities that would give an adult pause. From the time she is first tossed in the air by a keen parent, she believes in her ability to fly. Inherently knowing that practice makes perfect, she works hard to get those powers under control and useful.

Take the power to make things disappear ... works on cupcakes, not on peas! Some of the work can be mildly annoying to the adults in charge, while others cause real dismay. It happens when she tries walking on the ceiling, or through her home's walls. Despite her confidence and determination, her superpowers do fail her:

"I was happily flying around
in the backyard,
and suddenly
SPLAT!
No more superpowers!
Gone! Finished!"

Might a mother exhibit special powers, too? I'm not telling!

Mr. Escoffier has an affinity with the way a young child's world works, and he uses it to create a protagonist who shows her audience the power of imagination and the wealth of possibilities that exist in her world. She lives life with such a sense of fascination and surprise.

The black mask and cape are a perfect disguise! The action-filled images will delight readers and show them what is really happening as she lets her imagination soar. What is in the text is not what is pictured on the page. Plenty of white space ensures that our attention is drawn to the various antics of the confident and lively young narrator as she goes about her day, proving that her powers are intact ... until they are not!   
                                                                        
 

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