January 1, 2018
"If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?" Not Wrong Man!In this picture-book collaboration, London and Morrison present a sweet and amusing flight of fancy in which Janice, a young black girl sent to her room as punishment by her father, reimagines him as the bumbling, red-spandex-clad action hero Wrong Man. Though well-intentioned (much like Janice's father), Wrong Man cannot help botching every rescue he attempts--from foiling a bank robbery to stopping an asteroid--in the most spectacular of ways. Fortunately for him, he has his resourceful daughter, aka Power Girl, to provide common-sense solutions to the problems that they face. Morrison's colorful artwork nicely mimics the style and feel of a vintage comic book, panels and layering lending the book a dynamic feel. The book's most wonderful feature is the positive and loving depiction of a black father-daughter superhero pair whose race is immaterial to the storyline or to their family dynamic. Young readers will undoubtedly see themselves and the adults in their lives reflected in these characters and will take delight in seeing the child protagonist as the voice of reason even as she acknowledges that her parents are right some of the time.A lighthearted adventure story that charms and entertains. (Picture book. 3-7)
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March 1, 2018
K-Gr 3-Wrong Man's only superpower seems to be the ability to do the absolute worst thing possible when trouble shows up. Like when he attempts to thwart a robbery by showing off his dance moves. Or when he tries to foil a homework-eating dog by dressing every dog in underwear. Luckily his sidekick Janice, aka Power Girl, is there to right his many mistakes with her quick thinking; readers later discover that Power Girl is Wrong Man's daughter and the whole situation was an anger-fueled daydream that's resolved by the book's end. However, there is not enough immediate correlation between the backstory and the main narrative, which may leave some readers confused. Overall, this is a hysterical and refreshing take on the many errors that parents can make. Morrison's adherence to a comic book art style lends legitimacy to the story. His figures, complete with comic-style line shading and intense facial expressions, are breathtaking, but, more important, add a dose of humor to each situation. VERDICT Kids will want to pore over this hilarious romp that's expertly executed-simply amazing.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 16, 2018
London (the Wild Ones series) and Morrison (Little Melba and Her Big Trombone) team up to create a father-daughter super-duo. Janice, an African-American girl who transforms into Power Girl, is always cleaning up the messes of Wrong Man, her father, who often ends up making situations much worse by employing outlandish tactics. Wrong Man's mistakes are often humorous: he arrives to a fire at an old toothbrush factory armed with "lots and lots of stinky cheese," which ends up a melted mess, then speeds off to catch a bank robber with his dance moves. Luckily, Janice is on hand to call the police and minimize the damage. Of course, when Janice is in peril, it's Wrong Man who swoops in to think outside the box and save the day. Morrison's detailed, dynamic illustrations lend themselves well to London's comic scenarios. The story's conclusion is neatly tied, with Janice held aloft as she gives her smiling father a peck on the cheek. Ages 5â8.
March 1, 2018
Preschool-G This visually enticing story in comic-book format follows the unfortunate adventures of two superheroes invented by an African American girl named Janice. Janice is Power Girl and her dad is Wrong Man. Wrong Man makes impractical decisions; he brings oodles of cheese to douse a fire and dances to thwart robbers, while practical Power Girl calls 911. No crisis is too small (dogs eating homework) or too large (a meteor heading toward Earth)?Wrong Man can screw anything up. Eventually, Wrong Man is redeemed when he saves Janice from a giant fire-breathing lizard. The text, composed mostly of dialogue bubbles, is short and to the point, while the lushly colored comic-book style illustrations are attractive, often with smaller images in frames. Some of the action is unclear, and in some places, the illustrations are too crowded, resulting in a murky story line. Still, the alluring artwork centered around African American heroes will draw some to this, despite some confusing visual sequences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2018
A (brown-skinned) girl is put in time-out. What follows is a humorous comic-book story about an inept superhero who looks suspiciously like the girl's father. Wrong Man has a knack for making any problem worse; luckily, his daughter, Power Girl, is there to resolve them. Morrison's comic-panel illustrations capture the drama of a superhero origin story but add silliness to this one, which ends happily--with time-out over.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
May 1, 2018
Fighting fire with?stinky cheese? Stopping up a broken dam with?sharks? All in a day's work for Wrong Man! The story begins on the copyright page with a scene of a little African American girl being reprimanded by her parents; on the facing page (the dedication page) we see her in her room playing with an action figure, and the text reads: To your parents, who are never wrong. What follows is a humorous comic-book-style picture book about an earnest but inept superhero who looks suspiciously like the girl's father. Repeatedly asked not to help his fellow townspeople, Wrong Man has a knack for taking any problem and making it worse. Luckily for all involved, Wrong Man's daughter, Janice (a.k.a. Power Girl), is there. She follows behind her hapless father to resolve the issues he creates, usually by calling law enforcement ( Yes, 911? There's a fire at the old toothbrush factory. Come quickly!?Yes, police? Janice again. The crooks are headed west on Main Street ). Finally, the opportunity arises for Wrong Man to save the day for real. Morrison's comic-panel illustrations capture both the excitement and the drama of a superhero origin story. They also convey the silliness of this superhero origin story, which ends back in the real world with the family happily reunited (and Janice's time-out over). eboni njoku
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)