Super Magic Boy 1: I Am a Dinosaur

All of my kids and I LOVE graphic novels by Jarod Roselló. We have all read both his Red Panda and Moon Bear books, and I have read a bunch of his mini- and web-comics, including the compiled The Well-Dressed Bear Will (Never) Be Found. His work is playful and energetic, and we all have found great joy in it. So, we were all sure to get this book, the first in a proposed series, Super Magic Boy.

In I Am a Dinosaur we met Hugo, a boy who has magic powers and can do seemingly anything. In the first few pages, he animates one of his dinosaur toys and makes it a real dinosaur and then transforms himself into a dinosaur. Of course, they do what dinosaurs do best, go on a rampage.

After crashing and roaring about the house and punching a hole in the exterior wall, they end up outside. The duo then decides to dig a giant hole, where they unearth (among other things) the Cursed Skeleton King and his cursed treasure. After wreaking a path of destruction, Hugo eventually settles down enough to fix everything in his own unique way.

My whole family liked many aspects of this book, and all of my kids loved reading this book both with me and by themselves. I liked that it is fun to read aloud, and the educator in me also liked how Hugo taught the dinosaur new words. I also admired the colorful artwork that looks like a blend of comics and collage. My kids liked its action, characters, and humor. And to be more exact: My four-year-old was thrilled by their rampaging. My six-year-old thinks the dinosaur is hilarious, because he loves how it does not know anything. My eight-year-old really enjoyed the shorter second story where Hugo and the Cursed Skeleton King search for treasure and encounter an imposing guardian. This book is full of wonderful and exciting things, and we are all looking forward to Book 2. If you have younger children who are into graphic novels or simply laughing, go get this book!

I Am a Dinosaur was just published, and thus far I have not been able to locate many other reviews. In the one I did find Kirkus Reviews summed up, "A high-energy celebration of a delightfully rambunctious childhood."

Super Magic Boy: I Am a Dinosaur was published by RH Graphic, and they have a preview and more available here.

Red Panda & Moon Bear

Red Panda & Moon Bear is a delightful book. It features a unique Latinx sister/brother superhero team. Both wear hoodies, Red Panda's giving her the strength of ten red pandas. Moon Bear possesses a magic crystal that he wields in a special gauntlet. Together, they defend their neighborhood from various menaces and solve mysteries. They face evil dogs, a ghost in a library, ice cream monsters, a nightmare, shape-shifting monsters from another galaxy, disappearing buildings, and scary trees.

Their adventures are fun and inventive, and I appreciate how they get through various situations not only by using their wits and sometimes their fists, but also by being empathetic and talking things through. They show that kindness and understanding can be effective for dealing with others and finding solutions to various dilemmas.

This book is fantastical in the best kind of way, with cool sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero elements woven throughout 11 chapters. And I love RP and MB's sense of adventure and cleverness. I think that perhaps the highest praise I have for the book is that I read it with my three-year-old, and he did not want to put it down. He not only insisted I keep reading each chapter, he even took it with him in his wagon when we went for a walk around our neighborhood. This book is enchanting!

When I asked him what he liked about it, he told me, "There's a mystery." "It's a little bit scary." And "I like Red Panda and Moon Bear (the characters)." So, there's something for everyone!

This book's creator Jarod Roselló is an artist, researcher, and educator who teaches creative writing at the University of South Florida. Although this book is his first for younger readers, he has published the graphic novel The Well-Dressed Bear Will (Never) Be Found as well as a bunch of shorter pieces. He has another graphic novel called Those Bears in the works for publication. He speaks about his work in this interview.

I was not able to locate many reviews of this book, but the ones I found were very positive. Cassie at Teachers Who Read called it "a perfect addition to the graphic novels in my classroom." It currently has a 4.71 (out of 5) star rating at Goodreads.

Red Panda & Moon Bear was published by Top Shelf Productions, and they offer a preview and much more here.