Supertato

March 15, 2020
Who rolls into action when an "escapee" from the freezer sets off an after-hours supermarket ruckus? It's all eyes on Supertato, racing to the rescue as someone swathes Cucumber in toilet paper, tapes Carrot to the conveyor belt with Band-Aids, and pushes hapless little veggies into a vat of gooey dip. Yes, there's a pea on the loose--chortling evilly ("Mwah ha ha ha ha!") and leading the intrepid tuber on a merry chase over darkened shelves that nearly sees the pursuer himself pulverized before the leering legume can be trapped in a wobbly gelatin dessert and led back to cold storage. Whew! Hendra and Linnet put googly-eyed faces on all the produce, outfit the two leads with masks and capes, and leave it to sharp-eyed viewers to spot the elusive trickster masquerading as a cherry atop a cupcake in one cartoon scene or in other concealment. The breathless, alliterative narrative eschews obvious puns (like that one), but Broccoli's comment that "This jelly tastes of pea!" will elicit a gale of storytime snickers, and a suggestion to check freezers at home for signs of a similar "escapee" adds an equally chewy bit of wordplay to the end. The black type is occasionally set on deep blue backgrounds, making those blocks of text a challenge to read. This terrific tater will appeal to plenty of tots. (Picture book. 5-7)

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May 1, 2020

K-Gr 4-Some vegetables really are frozen for a reason. One night, vegetables at a grocery store are suddenly under siege by an unknown assailant. A carrot has been tethered to the checkout conveyor belt, a broccoli has been drawn on, and a cucumber has been wrapped up so tight it looks like a mummy. Luckily, Supertato is there to save the day! After rescuing everyone, Supertato goes on the hunt for the dastardly evildoer: a rogue pea that has escaped from the freezer. They chase each other around the store until only one is left standing. Fans of silly, exaggerated superhero stories will enjoy this book. Designed to resemble a comic book, some images are broken into banners or rectangles as the story progresses. The illustrations are saturated in color and recognizable without being overly detailed; they zoom in on familiar grocery store shelves and food that children will be able to easily name. However, the deep saturation of color and dark text make the words difficult to read on some pages. Peas will no doubt become the vegetable children love to hate. VERDICT Young readers will enjoy hearing this book read aloud and appreciate the battle.-Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver Public Library

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