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Send For A Superhero
Comic-book action meets picture-book adventure in this exciting and funny new 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?
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?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2013
About the author
Michael Rosen
590 books560 followersMichael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 26, 2014
"Hey! What's this? The money is being sucked out of my hand by a mysterious force!"
Love! We all know that you don't have to make a statement like that in a comic. Even little kids know that that is funny because the picture already tells you what is going on. I don't know when over-obvious narrative became so funny. I guess Don Pardo. Maybe Love of Chair. But anyway, it is. Moving on.
The book is funny and great, and is a lot like the kind of story my kids make up with their dad. And it get the Special Achievements in Sound Effects Award for "Neeaaoww" as the sound a spaceship makes as it tears through Earth's atmosphere.
Love! We all know that you don't have to make a statement like that in a comic. Even little kids know that that is funny because the picture already tells you what is going on. I don't know when over-obvious narrative became so funny. I guess Don Pardo. Maybe Love of Chair. But anyway, it is. Moving on.
The book is funny and great, and is a lot like the kind of story my kids make up with their dad. And it get the Special Achievements in Sound Effects Award for "Neeaaoww" as the sound a spaceship makes as it tears through Earth's atmosphere.
Read
July 29, 2017Can't rate. It's very cool in a lot of ways, and I *think* there are plenty of families who will love it. But I'm not sure. And I didn't. Sorry, Candlewick, you no longer have a perfect record with me.
August 9, 2015
The cover will instantly remind adult readers of Japanese pulp films starring wonderful and increasingly rubbery versions of Godzilla. There's lots going on here: people are screaming and running hither and thither to escape the blobby green monster and yellow spaceship towering over them. Two children, perched in the uppermost right hand corner, peep over the peeled back corner of the page, horrified at what they see. Who could possibly resist picking up this book and running all the way to the counter to make a purchase?
Brightly coloured, the book tells the story of a Dad reading bed time stories to his kids Emily and Elmer. The Terrible Two are threatening to destroy the world in Dad's storybook, which just happens to have the exact same cover as the book young readers are holding in their sticky paws. It's a great touch, instantly engaging young minds, I'd have thought. Suckers!
We find out bit by bit, what superpowers the Terrible Two have. There's the Filth monster, an all-round baddie, and the Vacuum monster, also an all-round baddie. Together they slime and suck their way across our world, having previously arrived in a fabulous 1950s style, bright red spaceship that couldn't possibly evade attention from UFO spotters and NASA. When the Terrible Two attack the very, very nice town of Townton, the mayor calls for superheroes to apply, demanding somebody should get in touch with Steel Man.
A giant man in a steel suit arrives in Townton, but as it turns out, steel isn't strong enough to deal with the slime issue. Steel Man loses his footing and slips to his doom. The mayor calls for Super-Flying-Through-The-Air-Very-Fast Man, who looks suspiciously like Superman from our human telly and cinema. After being spattered with slime, this superhero gets sucked into the Vacuum Monster - not a success, as far as the mayor's concerned.
Now the Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man is sent for. He has some success in ripping bits off the Vacuum monster, but the monster retaliates by ripping the Green Man's trousers off. The superhero beats a hasty retreat, red cheeked and clutching his privates.
The mayor believes the town is doomed, but a school kid, Brad 40, sends for Extremely Boring Man, whose superpower is that he can send everyone to sleep with his boring talk. Even the birds fall out of the sky fast asleep, having succumb to his boring voice. Soon the Terrible Two are sent off to the land of Nod and the army can clean up Townton's slime- infested streets. Everybody cheers Extremely Boring Man and Brad 40, both superheroes in their own right.
Unfortunately, Dad is too easily fooled - his story has not really sent little Emily and Elmer to sleep, they're just pretending. And so, Dad, like so many million dads before and after him, will just have to continue reading storybooks to kids until they fall asleep for real.
It's a lovely book with bright, colourful pictures that grab the attention. The story is imaginative and very funny, not scary but just exciting enough to make children's toes twitch and eyes pop open wide at bedtime.
Brightly coloured, the book tells the story of a Dad reading bed time stories to his kids Emily and Elmer. The Terrible Two are threatening to destroy the world in Dad's storybook, which just happens to have the exact same cover as the book young readers are holding in their sticky paws. It's a great touch, instantly engaging young minds, I'd have thought. Suckers!
We find out bit by bit, what superpowers the Terrible Two have. There's the Filth monster, an all-round baddie, and the Vacuum monster, also an all-round baddie. Together they slime and suck their way across our world, having previously arrived in a fabulous 1950s style, bright red spaceship that couldn't possibly evade attention from UFO spotters and NASA. When the Terrible Two attack the very, very nice town of Townton, the mayor calls for superheroes to apply, demanding somebody should get in touch with Steel Man.
A giant man in a steel suit arrives in Townton, but as it turns out, steel isn't strong enough to deal with the slime issue. Steel Man loses his footing and slips to his doom. The mayor calls for Super-Flying-Through-The-Air-Very-Fast Man, who looks suspiciously like Superman from our human telly and cinema. After being spattered with slime, this superhero gets sucked into the Vacuum Monster - not a success, as far as the mayor's concerned.
Now the Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man is sent for. He has some success in ripping bits off the Vacuum monster, but the monster retaliates by ripping the Green Man's trousers off. The superhero beats a hasty retreat, red cheeked and clutching his privates.
The mayor believes the town is doomed, but a school kid, Brad 40, sends for Extremely Boring Man, whose superpower is that he can send everyone to sleep with his boring talk. Even the birds fall out of the sky fast asleep, having succumb to his boring voice. Soon the Terrible Two are sent off to the land of Nod and the army can clean up Townton's slime- infested streets. Everybody cheers Extremely Boring Man and Brad 40, both superheroes in their own right.
Unfortunately, Dad is too easily fooled - his story has not really sent little Emily and Elmer to sleep, they're just pretending. And so, Dad, like so many million dads before and after him, will just have to continue reading storybooks to kids until they fall asleep for real.
It's a lovely book with bright, colourful pictures that grab the attention. The story is imaginative and very funny, not scary but just exciting enough to make children's toes twitch and eyes pop open wide at bedtime.
August 25, 2020
Just OK - 2 stars.
This could have been more that it was. It's a clever premise - the story within a story, a mix of bedtime picture book and graphic novel - but it didn't quite reach the mark. There were funny moments and some OTT voices and sound effects which could make read-alouds fun, but overall, I just didn't feel like it really came together.
As a storytime book, it would be challenging, with the nested stories and details in the illustrations, but as a bedtime book, you can see if you fair any better than this dad did with Elmer and Emily. Better for an older crowd than my usual storytime bunch, too.
This could have been more that it was. It's a clever premise - the story within a story, a mix of bedtime picture book and graphic novel - but it didn't quite reach the mark. There were funny moments and some OTT voices and sound effects which could make read-alouds fun, but overall, I just didn't feel like it really came together.
As a storytime book, it would be challenging, with the nested stories and details in the illustrations, but as a bedtime book, you can see if you fair any better than this dad did with Elmer and Emily. Better for an older crowd than my usual storytime bunch, too.
September 18, 2019
Book is silly and fun to read aloud. Does however have a limited plot and I couldn’t figure out a moral message. However I enjoyed this book like I enjoy Tesco value pizza- there’s not much to it but it still tastes good.
April 28, 2026
To get the kids to sleep, I guess even a dad has to become a boring superhero. But I wonder, how did Brad 40 think a boring person could defeat two villains? It would’ve been better if there were some convincing scenes leading up to that conclusion.
May 24, 2017
First Line: "It was bedtime, and Dad was reading Emily and Little Elmer a story."
June 14, 2018
the girls loved this one and I thought it was clever and fun to read
March 23, 2022
I had fun reading this aloud to my kids (7 and 5). I had some trouble explaining the phrase “Send for” to my five year old.
I liked the pictures, great mix of comic art and picture book.
I liked the pictures, great mix of comic art and picture book.
July 20, 2022
Cute and funny bedtime story for children who do not want to go to sleep.
August 22, 2025
Silly :)
March 10, 2016
Send for a Superhero is a picture book, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Katherine McEwen, in a graphic novel format. In the beginning of the graphic novel/picture book we are introduced to an unnamed father who is reading a bedtime story to his two children, Emily and Elmer. The story begins with the father reading a humorous comic book to his children, and we the readers, are reading that same comic book with them. The comic book describes a typical action packed superhero story. It tells a tale about two silly super villains named Filth and Vacuum and multiple superheroes (with even sillier names) who attempt to put an end to the villains. Eventually, the superhero comic book story comes to a humorous conclusion and the whole story ends with the children and their father reading another chapter.
The illustrations in this picture book/graphic novel begin with classic picture book style pages. We see typical cartoon illustrations and text as we are introduced to Emily, Elmer and their dad. Once the dad starts reading the book, the illustrations change to a graphic novel format to reflect the transition from typical picture book to the comic book they are reading, or the “story within a story.” It is here where we notice that the comic book characters are depicted as more cartoonish than the main characters Emily, Elmer and their dad. The main characters in the story are also illustrated with more bold and vibrant colors compared to the characters in the comic book.
Overall, I would say this is a clever picture book that would definitely be intriguing to younger children (especially boys) mostly because of the humorous plot revolving around silly super hero characters and the unique use of the graphic novel format. I believe Send for a Superhero is a great way to introduce graphic novels to young children as they would surely enjoy a twist to the typical picture book.
The illustrations in this picture book/graphic novel begin with classic picture book style pages. We see typical cartoon illustrations and text as we are introduced to Emily, Elmer and their dad. Once the dad starts reading the book, the illustrations change to a graphic novel format to reflect the transition from typical picture book to the comic book they are reading, or the “story within a story.” It is here where we notice that the comic book characters are depicted as more cartoonish than the main characters Emily, Elmer and their dad. The main characters in the story are also illustrated with more bold and vibrant colors compared to the characters in the comic book.
Overall, I would say this is a clever picture book that would definitely be intriguing to younger children (especially boys) mostly because of the humorous plot revolving around silly super hero characters and the unique use of the graphic novel format. I believe Send for a Superhero is a great way to introduce graphic novels to young children as they would surely enjoy a twist to the typical picture book.
May 29, 2015
I've always been a fan of books about books (I even have a shelf designated for them here on Goodreads), so I figured I would love this book. And I did...sort of.
This is a pretty cute bedtime story book. A dad reads his kids a bedtime story, and the readers get to see the bedtime story as well. Both the story and the story-within-the-story are fun, and the two have very different art, so it's easy to tell them apart.
But is it silly that I was put off by the overwhelming lack of heroines? The art is as inclusive as it can be without completely altering the text (almost equal girls and boys and a diversity of ages and races are represented), so there are girls and women in the story. But they're all helpless victims who need to be saved by Steel Man, Super-Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast Man, Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man, Extremely Boring Man, and Brad 40. Even the Mayor is a man.
I would recommend this book as a cute bedtime story, but with the caveat that it's very obviously biased. If I read this to my own kids, I would encourage them to make up their own superheroes and superheroines to insert into the story. Honestly, I'd probably do that even if I wasn't miffed about the massive gender divide, because names like Super-Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast Man almost force your mind to come up with other silly super names, don't they?
This is a pretty cute bedtime story book. A dad reads his kids a bedtime story, and the readers get to see the bedtime story as well. Both the story and the story-within-the-story are fun, and the two have very different art, so it's easy to tell them apart.
But is it silly that I was put off by the overwhelming lack of heroines? The art is as inclusive as it can be without completely altering the text (almost equal girls and boys and a diversity of ages and races are represented), so there are girls and women in the story. But they're all helpless victims who need to be saved by Steel Man, Super-Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast Man, Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man, Extremely Boring Man, and Brad 40. Even the Mayor is a man.
I would recommend this book as a cute bedtime story, but with the caveat that it's very obviously biased. If I read this to my own kids, I would encourage them to make up their own superheroes and superheroines to insert into the story. Honestly, I'd probably do that even if I wasn't miffed about the massive gender divide, because names like Super-Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast Man almost force your mind to come up with other silly super names, don't they?
July 24, 2014
Review originally posted here at Children's Atheneum.
A father reads his children a bedtime story, one with action and adventure and two villains, Filth and Vacuum who plan on sucking all the money out of banks. Is there no superhero who can stop them? Can a superhero like Extremely Boring Man whose superpower is putting people to sleep? I hated and loved this book. I absolutely love a picture book comic book format. That part of the story was engaging, action packed, and perfect. What I didn't like was the weird side story where the father is reading the book to his children. It was very 'Inception' like, with a book within a book that was within another book. Then again, a book featuring a father reading to his children is also something special so I think I can give this one a free pass. Besides, superheros are awesome!
A father reads his children a bedtime story, one with action and adventure and two villains, Filth and Vacuum who plan on sucking all the money out of banks. Is there no superhero who can stop them? Can a superhero like Extremely Boring Man whose superpower is putting people to sleep? I hated and loved this book. I absolutely love a picture book comic book format. That part of the story was engaging, action packed, and perfect. What I didn't like was the weird side story where the father is reading the book to his children. It was very 'Inception' like, with a book within a book that was within another book. Then again, a book featuring a father reading to his children is also something special so I think I can give this one a free pass. Besides, superheros are awesome!
August 21, 2015
I got as far as the mayor when I realized, Oh, this is British. The mayor of our town goes around in khakis and polo shirts and affects a folksy, good ole boy speech pattern for videos promoting local establishments although one knows he's expensively educated.
A dad reads his children a far too exciting bedtime story (that looks suspiciously like this one - getting recursive already) about two super-villains, one who splurts green goop from his hands and is called Filth and the other who can suck up anything of value and is called Vacuum. Many superheroes try and fail, all of whom have humorously generic names such as "Super-Flying-Through-The-Air-Very-Fast Man." But it's the quick thinking of Brad "Agent" 40 who alerted the mayor to the problem, having discovered it on his game machine he just happened to have ... switched on, in his hand, during class.
Now, if only dad can get those kids to sleep.
This is by Michael Rosen, of We're Going On a Bear Hunt fame.
A dad reads his children a far too exciting bedtime story (that looks suspiciously like this one - getting recursive already) about two super-villains, one who splurts green goop from his hands and is called Filth and the other who can suck up anything of value and is called Vacuum. Many superheroes try and fail, all of whom have humorously generic names such as "Super-Flying-Through-The-Air-Very-Fast Man." But it's the quick thinking of Brad "Agent" 40 who alerted the mayor to the problem, having discovered it on his game machine he just happened to have ... switched on, in his hand, during class.
Now, if only dad can get those kids to sleep.
This is by Michael Rosen, of We're Going On a Bear Hunt fame.
July 2, 2014
Send for a Superhero! intersperses comic book pages with a regular picture book story as a father tries to read his children to sleep with a superhero tale. Will the superheroes save the day? More importantly, will the kids ever fall asleep?
Once I understood what the author was trying to do -- about halfway through -- I loved it. I appreciated the sense of humor and had a lot of fun reading all the sound effects aloud. After multiple readings, it only became more enjoyable. My husband had the same journey, from confusion to adoration. However, this is coming from two adults who have at least a passing familiarity with both comic books and satire. Ultimately, we are not the target audience, and much of the humor is likely to go over the heads of many young children without a lot of adult help. For many grownups, however, and for certain kids, it could be a whole lot of fun.
Once I understood what the author was trying to do -- about halfway through -- I loved it. I appreciated the sense of humor and had a lot of fun reading all the sound effects aloud. After multiple readings, it only became more enjoyable. My husband had the same journey, from confusion to adoration. However, this is coming from two adults who have at least a passing familiarity with both comic books and satire. Ultimately, we are not the target audience, and much of the humor is likely to go over the heads of many young children without a lot of adult help. For many grownups, however, and for certain kids, it could be a whole lot of fun.
November 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this book and how there was two "stories" going on at once, the story of the father and his two children and the bedtime story that was filled with comics and many characters to follow. A father is in bed reading a bedtime story to his two children, Emily and little Elmer. They both were very engrossed in the story and would stop their father to ask questions or compare themselves to the different superheroes. The two villains in the story, Filth and Vacuum, are illustrated very well and I think children will be drawn to their humorous facial expressions and actions throughout the story. At the end of the book the father believes he finally got his children to go to bed, but in reality they were pretending then had their father read another chapter of the book. parents and children will be able to relate to this, and it could remind them of their night time routine.
May 18, 2014
I was pleased that this picture book features a father reading aloud to his two children. As he reads a bedtime story about villains out to destroy the world, all sorts of heroes are introduced. In this story, Filth and Vacuum do battle with a series of superheroes, including Steel Man, Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man, and Extremely Boring Man. Many parents will relate to how the children are not sleepy after the reading has concluded, and he must patiently read the book once again. The mixed media illustrations that were created digitally are filled with bright colors and the usual panels associated with graphic novels or comics. This one made me smile, especially at the success of Extremely Boring Man.
December 3, 2014
Send for a Superhero! Is a comic book within a picture book, a story within a story. Basically dad is reading a comic book about two villains, Filth and Vacuum, and two superheroes, Brad40 and Extremely Boring Man, as a bedtime story to his two children Emily and Elmer. We, the reader, end up reading the same book the characters are reading.
I was not interested in the comic and the book didn't leave me much in terms of a good story outside of the book within the book. Are you confused yet? I know. Well, this left me saying, "Uh...."
I think this book would've been better off keeping the comic book separate.
I was not interested in the comic and the book didn't leave me much in terms of a good story outside of the book within the book. Are you confused yet? I know. Well, this left me saying, "Uh...."
I think this book would've been better off keeping the comic book separate.
January 17, 2015
This is a funny book.
Readers will enjoy the pages of text interspersed with comic book pages that share the story of a father who is attempting to read his children to sleep. In his story, Filth and Vacuum are battling a panoply of unusual superheroes: Steel Man, Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man, and Extremely Boring Man. Parents will relate to how the children, NOT sleepy after hearing the story, demand that the father read the story again.
Eye-catching layouts with graphic, comic-book-style artwork will have immediate appeal for young readers. This is an engaging blend of graphic novel, picture book and family storytime.
Readers will enjoy the pages of text interspersed with comic book pages that share the story of a father who is attempting to read his children to sleep. In his story, Filth and Vacuum are battling a panoply of unusual superheroes: Steel Man, Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man, and Extremely Boring Man. Parents will relate to how the children, NOT sleepy after hearing the story, demand that the father read the story again.
Eye-catching layouts with graphic, comic-book-style artwork will have immediate appeal for young readers. This is an engaging blend of graphic novel, picture book and family storytime.
September 16, 2014
While cute and clever, this one could have been better. The framing story is that a dad is reading to his children, and the story that he's reading is cute and clever, but the framing story is nothing special other than the question of whether his kids are really smarter than he is. He certainly hasn't learned the lesson from the story that he's reading, because he's trying to get kids to fall asleep by reading them an exciting story. He's the one who needs the powers of Incredibly Boring Man.
Kids will enjoy this, but it won't become a favorite for most.
Kids will enjoy this, but it won't become a favorite for most.
October 15, 2014
This book contains two stories. The overarching story is of Dad reading a bedtime story to Emily and Elmer. The second story is the actual story that he is reading (the book within the book). This clever and campy read has something for kids and adults. Children will enjoy the story of the bad guys and how the good guys fight them, especially since a student is vital to warning the mayor and saving the day. Adults will enjoy the over-the-top superhero story clichés. The format could be read on one’s own or shared with a very small group.
June 6, 2014
Dad reads a bedtime story about bad guys vs. superheroes.
Nice modeling at work here and very realistic dialogue be3tween father and kids while reading. The superheroes and bad guys reminded me of the kind of characters you'd find in Captain Underpants which I think will hold a lot of appeal for newly independent readers and inspire them to make up further adventures for Brad 40.
Mixed media digital illustrations. PreK-2.
Nice modeling at work here and very realistic dialogue be3tween father and kids while reading. The superheroes and bad guys reminded me of the kind of characters you'd find in Captain Underpants which I think will hold a lot of appeal for newly independent readers and inspire them to make up further adventures for Brad 40.
Mixed media digital illustrations. PreK-2.
June 19, 2014
This is an interesting blend of graphic novel, picture book, and family storytime. It models great parenting involvement that can happen(and likely is happening) at the same time. I liked that the dad is reading the bedtime story because it counters typical gender roles. Otherwise, the story is pretty straightforward.
April 28, 2015
I'm not sure if this is a regular kids book or a comic book. Either way, it was definitely a new kind of book to read. Love the page layouts and the illustrations are very comical. I had a great time reading this with the kids, they had their eyes glued to each page and made me read it three times in a row. So it was a very fun and interesting read, heh-heh-heh!
September 9, 2014
I really had high hopes for this book because of the summer reading theme next year. I also loved that it showed a dad reading to his children at bedtime. That's kind of where it ended though. It kind of drug along for me and since my attention span is a little bit longer than a child's I wonder how much they will really like it. Great artwork though.
February 15, 2016
Not the usual group of superhero's rule this town. The superhero that finally beats the enemy after many failed attempts by the other superhero's called in to do the job is the one no one ever expected would be able to! A silly but fun bed time story within a bed time story. Will be enjoyed by both adults and children.
March 12, 2014
I love Michael Rosen and suspect would give anything he wrote at least 4 stars. However this book cracked me up - the girl and the boy in it are very much like my own children and any parent, who attempted to read their own children to sleep, will be able to relate to the story.
July 29, 2014
This is a story about a dad reading to his kids – an event that should happen often, to my way of thinking. It made me laugh out loud, remembering listening to my husband read to our children. Excellent for reading with your Dad.
July 2, 2020
When monsters attack, who will save the city?? It might end up being the unlikeliest of superheroes. I must admit I did not see this one coming, which made it a fun read and unexpected bedtime option. The kids especially liked the comic format.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews