[Monday Reading] Do Superheroes Have Bad Days and Make Mistakes? Yes Ma’am.

Myra here.

It’s Monday, What are You Reading is a meme hosted by Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (new host of Monday reading: Kathryn T at Book Date). Since two of our friends, Linda from Teacher Dance and Tara from A Teaching Life have been joining this meme for quite awhile now, we thought of joining this warm and inviting community. 

I really enjoy how I am now able to find superhero-themed picturebooks – more frequently than not relegated to comic book format. Given how most comics feature superheroes, these two books manage to fit into our current reading theme.

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written by Shelly Becker Illustrated by Eda Kaban
Published by Sterling Children’s Books (2016)
ISBN: 1454913940 (ISBN13: 9781454913948). Borrowed from Singapore National Library Board Overdrive. Book photos taken by me. 

Ever since Fats featured this book here, I have been intrigued by the premise of this book as it ostensibly deals with managing emotions.

Given their superpowers, these superheroes (fairly reminiscent of the X-Men) can very easily wreak havoc and cause irreparable damage – and this was explored in full detail here. I understand that some parents or teachers may be concerned by it (seeing how impressionable most children are).

However, one can argue that it also provides a safe space for young ones to channel their negative emotions in a safe space, and to also learn some techniques on how they can manage them – rather than pretend that they do not exist in the first place.

I have to admit, though, that I am not a fan of the rhyming text, but I enjoyed the art and the visual puns embedded in each page. The image above is one of my favourites.

Even Superheroes Make Mistakes [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written by Shelly Becker Illustrated by Eda Kaban
Published by Sterling Children’s Books (2018) ISBN: 1454927038 (ISBN13: 9781454927037). Borrowed from Singapore’s National Library Board Overdrive. Book photos taken by me. 

The sequel to Even Superheroes Have Bad Days highlights the many ways that superheroes can deal with their mistakes, and some can become catastrophic errors of planetary proportions.

Adults would appreciate how misattributions are explored here: in terms of evasion, blaming the other, or rationalizing one’s mistakes – but executed in a way that children can resonate with.

While certain parts of the book felt didactic to me, I also recognize that there are times when a clear edict of taking responsibility can also serve young readers well.