SuperMum by Leah Russack ill Anil Tortop
My mum has secret superpowers.
She can do amazing things.
Told in the first person, a child offers some Mum-based superpowers. Mum transforms with each superpower, from X-ray vision to mindreading. Mum is a whole range of superheroes not just one. Only in the final page, does she revert to her original form for the best superpower of all. Illustrations are loose, humourous and colourful.
Supermum offers an appreciation of many of the things that mums do well. The child portrayed is not specifically gendered, and text is also gender-neutral, allowing all children to identify themselves in the story. Illustrations offer humour for both child and adult reader, while text font and size alters to support the particular superpower being demonstrated. Pre-readers will soon be able to ‘read’ this story for themselves, matching the activity portrayed to the super powers described. There is opportunity to extend discussion by considering other superpowers they see in parents, family and friends. Recommended for pre-schoolers
Supermum, Leah Russack ill Anil Tortop
New Frontier Publishing 2016 ISBN: 9781760158545
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller