Super Stan by Matt Robertson
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017: llustrated Books
| Super Stan by Matt Robertson | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Ruth Ng
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| Summary: A funny look at sibling rivalry, and perfect for all your superhero wannabes! | |
| Buy? yes | Borrow? yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: April 2016 |
| Publisher: Orchard Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781408337288 | |
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Stan is no ordinary little brother, oh no, because Stan can run faster and throw further and jump higher than his big brother Jack. Stan can also fly, of course! Poor Jack finds that even when he is helpful and kind, his little superhero brother can go one better, so when Jack finds someone's wallet on the floor and returns it, Stan captures a burglar in his car & carries the car to the police! So when it is Jack's birthday he is hopeful that perhaps for just one day, he will be the special one in the family, and Stan won't do anything to spoil his fun.
Poor Jack, he always seems to come second best to his little brother. This story deals with sibling rivalry in an interesting way. Making Stan a superhero allows for Stan to be special in the family in a very obvious and understandable way. It's often the case that younger siblings end up getting most of the attention (or it at least seems that way to the older child) and so this story allows you to look at, and perhaps talk about, how that might feel but in a lighthearted way. It's easy to see how hard Jack is finding things, and how excited he is about his birthday treat trip to the zoo. So when they get there and Stan immediately starts showing off, racing the cheetahs and wrestling with the lion, you feel very sorry for Jack who is once again missing out on all the attention.
However, when Stan suddenly starts to cry, for no apparent reason, and when he cries, he cries very loudly, it's Jack who realises what's wrong. He's the big brother, after all, and he quickly and cleverly solves the problem, stops Stan from crying and manages to save the day! There's a real sense of achievement when Jack manages to be the hero, and the two brothers fly off together, hand in hand.
Throughout this lovely story, there are some wonderful supporting illustrations. The pictures are very vibrant, colourful, and full of fun. The children both have enormous eyes and beautifully expressive faces. There's lots of movement in the pictures, and some cute little dogs to enjoy! I loved the panel of pictures showing Stan wrestling with the lion in the zoo - he looks like rather a laid back, bemused sort of lion, with wonderfully expressive eyebrows as Stan opens his mouth and pulls at his tongue! The different layouts for the illustrations, with full pages, cartoon-like panels and split pages add interest and enjoyment as you turn each page.
This is a fun story, with a lovely, warm ending. Great for smoothing a rough ride amongst siblings, or just for a great bedtime story.
Further reading suggestion: For more super antics you might enjoy Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough or Superworm by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Super Stan by Matt Robertson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Super Stan by Matt Robertson at Amazon.com.
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