Sidekicks (edition 2011)

A quick read and super sweet (pun intended). Also, not as predictable as I thought it would be. ( )

This was very cute. It was a quick read and for once I didn't feel like it was too short. I felt like I knew the characters and there was a nice beginning, middle, and end. It even had a nice lesson about friendship, forgiveness, and working together. Good read. ( )

this is a graet book if you like super Heros , comic books , and animals. ( )

As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Finally, I get to a “traditional” graphic novel, i.e., a superhero story. It may be traditional, but there’s nothing conventional about Dan Santat’s Sidekicks, the story of a superhero and his super sidekicks, even the ones he doesn’t know about. Sidekicks tells the tale of Captain Amazing, who’s getting a little long in the tooth. He decides it’s time for a new sidekick, and his pets Roscoe (a dog), Fluffy (a hamster) and Shifty (a chameleon) are up for the challenge. They practice in secret, with the begrudging help of Manny, aka Static Cat, who was Captain Amazing’s old partner and pet before he ran away. Sidekicks has all the tellings of a great superhero legend. It’s the classic origin story of how the gang got together and learned how to use their superpowers. There’s lots of first rate action and witty dialogue and characters you can really get behind. Who doesn’t want to root for little Fluffy in his red, white and blue bedecked costume when he hits the streets to fight crime? I certainly hope this is only the first in a long line of Sidekicks stories. There’s a whole wide world of superhero mythos to plumb, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for our heroes. ( )

Summary:
This book is about a superhero named Captain Amazing. After being in the superhero business for awhile, Capatain Amazing realizes that he's getting old and is in need of a sidekick. His pets (a dog, a hamster, and a chameleon) discovers that Captain Amazing will be holding auditions for a sidekick position. At the auditions the evil Dr. Havoc sets out to destroy Captain Amazing. During he conflict between Captain Amazing and Dr. Havoc, Captain Amazing loses his superhero powers. At that time, the pets saved Captain Amazing's life, defeated Dr. Havoc and proved that they are the perfect sidekicks.

Personal Reaction:
I really like this graphic noble. I like the fact that good conquers evil. This noble was interesting to me because it has some comical scenes.

Classroom Extension:
1. I would have each student respond to this statement "If your pet was a superhero what powers would he have and why".
2. I would have each student draw a picture of their imagery superhero. ( )

Captain Amazing's been in the superhero business for awhile, and he's getting tired. He'd love a sidekick, if only to spend more time with his super-talented pets, but is having a hard time finding someone qualified. However, his pet hamster Fluffy thinks he's perfect for the sidekick job - if only he can find someone to train him in time for auditions!

Fun and charming, this story of a superhero's pets who have the hearts of superheroes should entertain elementary-age boys and girls. I found the illustrations adorable!

Recommended. ( )

I originally saw this book listed on the Amazon Vine program, I ended up not being able to get it through there...but still really wanted to read it. Then I saw it at the library last weekend and decided to borrow it. This was a fun super hero comic that even younger kids can enjoy.

This book is about Captain Amazing and his faithful pets. Captain Amazing is looking for a new sidekick and all of his pets (a gerbil, a dog, and a lizard) want to be the one to be picked. Each of them has a special superpower and they try to enlist the help of Captain Amazing's former sidekick (a cat with some anger issues) in getting all ready and trained for the sidekick tryouts.

The illustrations through this graphic novel are excellent. They are well done and, for the most part, pretty easy to follow. They are in full color and beautiful.

The story is great and easy to understand on multiple levels. Beyond the superhero training and the funny parts where the pets are doing crazy superhero things, there are some great messages. The story addresses loyalty, teamwork, forgiveness, and the value of thinking before you act.

The story moves quickly and is very entertaining. There is a bit of cartoon violence but it should be appropriate for kids of most ages, even young kids. My son is four years old and he was entraced by the story because it had a superhero cat, dog, and hamster!

The only thing I noticed that could have been done better are a couple of parts where the drawing and story get a little confusing. I had to look back and forth a few times to figure out what was going on and my son didn't get it at all until I explained it to him.

Overall this is a great graphic novel. It is one of those few that both adults and kids can really enjoy. The pictures are in full color and very nicely done. The story is entertaining yet sends a variety of good messages as well. Definitely a must read for super hero fans, especially super hero fans of the younger age set. ( )