Superdog: The Heart of a Hero

by Caralyn Buehner, Mark Buehner (Illustrator)

Dexter is a little dog. He′s so little that the other dogs forget to invite him to play, and Cleevis the tomcat bullies him. But little Dexter has dreams -- big dreams. He wants to be a superhero. So Dexter starts a superhero training program. And suddenly, even Cleevis needs his help!

In Superdog, husband-and-wife team Mark and Caralyn Buehner have created a timeless story about a true superhero. Dexter has determination, spirit, and heart as he proves, above all, that no matter how little you are, you can still do very big things.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Dogs, Superheroes, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jason Dillingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can be whatever you wanna be, you just gotta believe. A little help goes a long way. You gotta put the effort into your dreams if you want to achieve them.

These were some of the themes of Superdog. I noticed as I was reading that there are hidden pictures (dinos, bunnies, etc.) in the illustrations, which was a fun little feature the illustrator threw in for giggles.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dex a skinny Hot dog often mocked by neighborhood cat starts to exercise and becomes muscular superdog, a cape and a red suit and he is off to the rescue of puppies scared to cross the street and mice trapped.

When his arch nemesis the cat gets stuck in a tree how sweet it is to rescue the poor cat too.

We laughed out loud.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun book to start a conversation about bullies.

[Salena Palacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book because of the illustrations and the message it sends. The theme of this book is that you can do anything you put your mind to and that size doesn't matter. This story is about a dog named Dex, who gets bullied because of his size by a tomcat named Cleevis who is bigger than him. He had always dreamed of being a hero so he begins training. He becomes a hero in his neighborhood by helping others. Cleevis doesn't believe he is a hero because he is a small dog. One day Cleevis needs help and Dex comes to his rescue making him a believer that you can be a hero no matter what your size. This book would be appropriate for ages 4 to 7 years old. I would use this book in my classroom as a Read Aloud so that we can discuss being kind and working towards a goal. Then we could also compare and contrast the character traits of Dex and Cleevis and then we could do a writing activity, "If I Were Superhero.."

[Clwseattle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superdog: The Heart of a Hero is cute enough and the pictures are engaging. I think the message is you can be (and are) better than the opinions others have of you. There's lots to like about Superdog: The Heart of a Hero.

As always, the husband of author, Caralyn, Mark Buehner adds more fun with a little seek and find in the book.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book to give to those that love super hero's. I'm not sure if I would read this aloud, it's geared towards the lower grade levels and it was a bit long. I'm not sure if it would hold their attention long enough.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super cute message for young readers! I had students up to 3rd grade who loved this small super hero. It’s not the size that matters, though! A simple plot, appropriate vocabulary, great classroom read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute. A good wiener dog becomes a super dog and helps other animals in his city despite an antagonistic cat picking on him. (Disclaimer: I had a wiener dog growing up, and that thing was terrible! So it's nice to read a nice book about a wiener dog 😂)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that rather than just wishing, Dex acted and worked hard to make his dreams a reality. And I also liked that his desire was to help people, even those who had made fun of him. A fun nod to comic book heroes.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story of a little dachsund who trains and works hard to become a superhero.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

made the kids want to lift weights. guess thats cool.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to my son

[Jessie Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book! Teaches the value of consistency & forgiveness in subtle ways. We both enjoyed it.

[Felicite Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to my dogs.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It won't win any awards, but for any kid into dogs, dachshunds specifically, and/or becoming an unlikely superhero, Dex is pretty great.

[JoshuaA · Rating 1 out of 5]

i like this book it show a dog that brave dog that wont to be a super dog to save the day.

[Daffney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would like this, as it is about a dachshund (my Teddy is half dachshund) who is a super hero, and it is in a kind of graphic novel format. However, I really didn't like it unfortunately.

[Mark Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows any young, or old, hero how to be a hero. Perseverance and a belief in yourself. We always enjoy Caralyn Buehner books in our house c

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok book for me but I haven’t read it to my young boys I teach yet. They are going to go nuts. A young puppy exercises, gets into shape and buts a supersuit. Surprise! Super dog!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of a little dog who wants to be a hero and those around him who learn what a hero truly is. A great read aloud!

[Christi Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved the dog as the hero. The addition of the partner at the end was great.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging story with a nice combo of "warrior kid" style work ethic, followed by a redemption story of the antagonist.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. A small dog becomes a big hero.

[Mackenzie]

Mandi (Leah’s mom) read this to us for story time! Cute

[Gregory Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a much-ridiculed short and squatty Dachshund named Dex. The ringleader in making fun of Dex is Cleevis, a large tomcat who never tires of entertaining his peers with jokes that come at the tiny dog's expense. Poor Dex dreams of becoming a superhero. But he does more than dream; he trains. Dex does extra laps on the rug before finally lying down. He increases his leaping and running exercises. Yes, through determination, Dex makes the transformation. Ultimately, he proves his superhero status to Cleevis in a compelling way.

I was never much for superhero comics, but the genre generally appeals to boys. Superdog: The Heart of a Hero, by the husband-wife team of Mark and Caralyn Buehner, infuses comic book elements into the picture book format. In fact, the text boxes for the comic-styled cells are the most fun to read, especially using the deeper, dramatic voice of a radio announcer (e.g., "It was clearly a desperate situation....").

The illustrations are playful, my favorite being the series of cells showing Dex flexing and admiring his suddenly sinewy frame. As noted on the book jacket, Mark Buehner adds to the viewing pleasure by sneaking in images of rabbits, cats and T-Rex dinosaurs in many of the illustrations. (Look in windows, in the folds of Superdog's cape, in the trees and clouds. (I also found an uncredited whale, a witch and even a SuperDex representation playfully added to the background. Intentional? Could my eyes be playing tricks on me?) The bonus caricatures will encourage repeated viewings.

While Superman, Spiderman and Aquaman have devoted followings, Superdog is a treat worth yipping about.

Please read more of my reviews at http://boyzread.blogspot.com/.

[Adria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Dex the Heart of a Hero is a very cute children’s book about a little dog that works hard to become his idea of a super hero. Poor Dex is ignored and ridiculed for being small but has bigger plans for himself. He decides he wants to become a superhero so he reads all the comics he can about superheroes. From his readings, he devises a training program and works diligently to achieve his goals. One day, the same cat, Cleevis, that torments Dex the most, needs his help. Dex rescues Cleevis and receives the acclaim he has been working so hard for!

In the book, I think the author does a great job using what Fletcher describes as tension. The author explores Dex's internal tension when she states, "Dex lived on dreams until one day, after crawling our from under Cleevis yet again, he decided there had to more to life than gazing at the underside of a cat" (Buehner, 2004, p.10). The author also explores how Dex's inner tension of being small and overlooked relates to his external world and other characters. The author references the drive Dex needs in order to achieve his goals and how once he achieves his goals the world around him perceives him. I think the author uses tension well as I left this book with a sense of the tension Dex experienced both inside his head and in the world around him. The author executes the use of tension by building on relatable experiences and emotions. I think the anthropomorphism of being marginalized makes it more approachable for children. If I were teaching a child to try to use tension, I might suggest he try to do the same about some feelings that may otherwise be scary to explore.

[Cariegreer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superdog: The Heart of a Hero is a really cute picture book about Dexter a dachshund that has big dreams of being a superhero. The illustrations in this book are so colorful with an emphasis of yellow, green, blue, red, and brown. In his neighborhood, Dexter was often overlooked by the other dogs and cats. The other dogs grew tired of waiting for Dexter to catch up and eventually didn’t invite him anymore. The book seems to have two stories. One story is about Dexter training to become a superhero and finally becoming a quick and muscular dog who helps other animals around the neighborhood. He even orders and wears a superhero costume. The second story is about Dexter being the superhero; the text is in a small box within the illustrations, for example: “WITH THE COURAGE OF A LION, THE STRENGTH OF A BEAR, AND THE HEART OF A HERO…” Dexter finally gains respect of the other animals in the neighborhood when he saves Cleevis, the tomcat from being stuck in a tree as the crowd yells “SU-PER-DOG!” Cleevis then ask Dexter if he can be is partner and Dexter agrees. This book shows that no matter what size you are, you can accomplish your dreams.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh! It's a wiener dog! An immediate favorite for me. I love this story. He's so cute. And I like the lesson that it teaches of working hard and believing in yourself in order to achieve your dreams. I liked the illustrations, too. It was overall really cute. It doesn't quite seem like what I was looking for in my Book Time, but I don't want to pass it up. Perhaps I can do a Superhero Book Time.

12/4/13 I was sure I'd read this in a storytime before--most likely a school-age. So, I don't know why I don't have a review of that. However, I did read this in preschool for my Heroes storytime. Not as great for the preschool crowd. They followed the story, but the humor was too subtle or over their heads.

6/10/15 Used in Friends theme, which worked well with the summer Superhero theme as well. I think the kids enjoyed the story. Not as reactionary, but they listened and kept their attention on me and the book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really a good book for both boys and girls but could easily catch the interest of a young boy who is interested in comic books. Dex is a small dog with big dreams of becoming a hero. Everyone laughs at him because of his size but Dex is determined to reach his goal. He works hard and in time the dreams to become a hero prove to become reality, when Superdog must save the day.

Written by Caralyn Buehner and Illustrated by Mark Buehner
Published by HarperCollins

Illustrations: The wonderful illustrations help catch the interest of children. Throughout the story there are secret little pictures hidden that children will enjoy looking for while they listen or read on their own.

Uses: Age range 5-8. This book could be read aloud to large or small groups. It could also be used for guided reading or individual reading depending on the child's reading level.

Notes: Let children know that there are secret images hidden throughout the illustrations.

[Jordan Bramblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book. It is well written and has very good illustrations. The story told in the book is describing the "underdog", which any child could relate to if they've ever been picked on or made fun of, which sadly, is most every child. The lesson in this story is that if you keep trying and work as hard as you can, then you can achieve something great and maybe even change the lives of a few people for the better. Dex pushed through all of the teasing and taunting from the cat and the other dogs and was able to get much stronger and became superdog! He was very proud of himself after he was able to help people in their daily lives. He became greatly appreciated by everyone, even those who used to taunt and tease him. This is a very inspiring story and I highly recommend reading this in the classroom.