What's My Superpower?

September 4, 2017
In a story dotted with Inuktitut words, Johnston (Those Who Run in the Sky) introduces Nalvana, a girl who wears a blanket cape and an old pair of snowmobiling goggles—it’s her superhero costume. Newcomer Mack draws Nalvana with a button nose, dots for eyes, and an excited smile; her pet husky galumphs along beside her bicycle. The Arctic village they cycle through is lined with small, wooden houses, the landscape rocky and treeless. Nalvana longs to have a superpower, the sort she readily sees in her friends: Davidee “can run faster than a Ski-Doo,” Maata can swing high, and Joanasie can make an inuksuk out of stone and an iglu from snow. Nalvana praises and encourages them all. It’s Nalvana’s mother who identifies her daughter’s talent: “Your superpower is making people feel good about themselves.” Readers who struggle with doubts about their own abilities will be reassured while simultaneously recognizing that children who live in distant places have problems not so different from their own. A glossary is included. Ages 3–5.

October 1, 2017
Young protagonist Nalvana lives in a small town with long winters and struggles to find her own superpower.Wherever Nalvana goes in her town she wonders what it would be like to have a superpower. She dresses like a superhero with a yellow cape and snow goggles instead of a cowl as she works to discover her special talent. On the first day of school in gym class, a classmate runs so fast he is a blur, so she tells him running must be his superpower. Later when she tells her mother about him over a snack, she wonders aloud if she might have a superpower too. "I'm sure we will find out soon," her mother says. As time goes by, Nalvana observes one friend after another exhibiting their own superpowers. She congratulates them on their amazing abilities, but when she tries to do each one herself, she fails. However, in talking things out with her mother, Nalvana discovers she has a superpower, too. Inuit author Johnston's text seamlessly blends fantasy with reality, sprinkling culturally specific details such as inuksuit and Inuktitut words into a universal story. Mack's illustrations and soft palette match the tone of the story, printlike textures creating a cozy feel for Nalvana's far north home.Nalvana is a bundle of creativity, spunk, and determination--readers will be happy to know her. (Picture book. 4-6)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.