Toni The Superhero Sparknotes

Toni the Superhero written by R. D. Base and illustrated by Debbie Hefke is a charismatic and charming portrayal of a young boy who lives and enjoys a well rounded life. The use of simple, direct sentences accompanied by an explanatory illustration makes it ideal for young readers who usually gravitate towards the more colorful images rather than an excess use of words. The only detraction was that the book traveled along at the same pace throughout and at the end, readers were only offered a perfunctory statement. That however does not take away from the simplistic brilliance that is this children’s book.

One of the main highlights was that the book was based on a black boy, Toni and written by a black female author who is also a mother. This is a welcome change as often times books about black children, or books about the Black experience are written from a White person’s perspective and are not always filled with positive images or representations. Ms. Base has changed that narrative and offered children positive representations about themselves having fun and being healthy. The book was also well balanced in terms of characters as Toni’s friends represents all sides of the spectrum. This in my opinion will teach children from such a tender age to be accepting of others regardless of their skin color
However, the seeds Ms. Base plants in Toni the Superhero have the potential to go a long way. Based on what I have listed above, I would give Toni the Superhero 3 out of 4 stars because I really enjoyed the book, the portrayals and the message it sought to bring across. In my opinion, I would have given it a higher score than 3 out of 4 stars if the book ended as I had noted before with a bit more animation or punch. However for now, 3 out of 4 is the highest I will