It's a Friday afternoon and my son, 8-year-old Zhou, is helping me review Zero the Hero. Joan Holub wrote this book, and Tom Lichtenheld did the drawings. Lichtenheld has been a Pink Me favorite ever since Shark vs. Train
for his clear, happy colors, lovely layering, and strong, funky line. And Joan Holub's Goddess Girls
books are getting a lot of play with my middle grade girl readers. She sent a stack of goddess bookmarks along with the ARC of this picture book, and they were snapped up in a jiffy.
Your Neighborhood Librarian: So, youngster. What do you like about this book?
Zhou: I like the premise. I like the plot of the story, I mean, Zero thinks he's a hero and he believes in himself and all that, but he's zero and he adds up to nothing and he subtracts to nothing. And then his friends who were afraid of him because in multiplication he came in twice, and they were afraid and he felt all bad, and then his friends were captured by Roman soldiers and he hears their cries of help and he goes and saves the day.
YNL: Roman soldiers.
Z: Yeah. Roman numerals.
YNL: So, not the guys who murdered Jesus?
Z: The... what?
YNL: Never mind. What do you want to tell me about the art.
Z: I really like it, and I like how Zero still looks like a zero but you can tell he's a person. With feet and shoes. My favorite part is at the end, and at the very corner there is a bunny talking to a letter O, and the bunny says, "Hey isn't that your cousin?"
YNL: Do you recognize that O from another book?
Z: I'm sure I do but I don't remember what. What book?
YNL: E-mergency!?
Z: Is that the one with the giant robot?
YNL: Um, it's possibly one of the very few books you've ever read that doesn't have a giant robot. It's where E gets sick and O has to fill in. Maybe you didn't read it. In this, I like that end page, where Zero is pretending to be an O, and he makes the word Joy. And I like the puns.
Z: Yeah! "Zero is grEIGHT!" "You were ONEderful!" And the little cartoons in the corners, I love them.
YNL: Me too. Thanks pal.
Zero the Hero hits the street February 28. Kirkus has reviewed it already.
Looks like a fun book! I appreciated the input from your son!
Posted by: Aadel | Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 12:10 PM
I'll have to add this one to our library list. We already love "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site", also illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld and a good bet for younger kiddos.
Posted by: Mary | Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 09:10 PM
I just added both books to my library list -- it sounds like our kind of humor.
Posted by: Beth | Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 02:56 AM
Don't forget Joan Holub's books! She writes everything from picture books to beginning readers to middle grade, all clever and fun.
Posted by: :paula | Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 10:15 AM
I love Shark vs. Train. I must check this one out. Sounds fantastic!
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Posted by: Sarah Frances Hardy | Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Love to take a look at this book, by reading the comprehensive Review.
Posted by: 2nd grade math tutor | Saturday, February 04, 2012 at 07:47 PM