Send for a Superhero [Hardcover]

Comic-book action meets picture-book adventure in this exciting and funny outing from beloved author Michael Rosen and illustrator Katharine McEwen.

Tune in as a father reads his children a bedtime story about the exploits of two villains, Filth and Vacuum, and their wicked plan to suck all the money out of the banks and cover everything with muck and slime. Who is strong enough to save the world? Not Steel Man, nor Flying Through the Air Very Fast Man, nor even Incredible Big Strong Green Man. It may just be a job for clever young Brad Forty, who transforms himself into . . . Extremely Boring Man! His superpower is making people fall asleep — but will it work on the children listening to this story?Veteran children’s-book writer Rosen proves he knows what kids like and what they ARE like. ... Although this approach has been used before, rarely has it been executed with such hilarious results.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

McEwen’s mixed-media illustrations shift from soft, homey scenes into energetic comic-book storytelling mode as the family becomes immersed in the story... The over-the-top superhero drama and pratfall-laden clashes slyly send up familiar comic book tropes, while the mid-story interruptions and diversions involving Emily and Elmer showcase a homey family dynamic that many readers will recognize.
—Publishers Weekly

This story-within-a-story begins with Dad reading a book to his two kids at bedtime. Viewers will note that the book Dad is reading—Send for a Superhero!—is the same book they’re looking at. It’s the sort of mind-bending detail kids love and sets the tone for the meta-humor to come. ... The text and art shift smoothly between superhero action and bedtime scenario, and children should have little trouble following both storylines—one funny for its recognizable family dynamics, the other for its off-brand superheroes, wacky bad guys, andlS!