Atomic Ace and the Robot Rampage

October 1, 2006
Gr 1-3-A new adventure told in rhyme by the author of "Atomic Ace: (Hes Just My Dad)" (Albert Whitman, 2004). Boldly colored comic-book panels showing Ace in action are interspersed with the somewhat more mundane scenes of his son at home and at school. That is, until the worlds collide, when Atomic Aces nemesis, Roboconqueror, unleashes a robot army that invades the boys classroom. Ace is off in space protecting the planet and is too far away to rescue his son. Just when he is about to meet his doom, he is whisked away by another superherowith a strangely familiar face. It is Energy Angel, aka Mom, who saves the day. It turns out that she had been quite the superhero until she had her son, and misses the old days. Dad enlists the services of the vanquished robot army to help with household duties to free up her time, and she is back in the superhero business. While some of the rhymes seem a bit forced, the story flows for the most part, and the bold, graphic layout with intricate details will attract readers. Purchase where the first book is popular."DeAnn Okamura, San Mateo County Library, CA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
When Ace is called away to help NASA deal with some dangerous meteors, an old enemy dispatches a robot army to abduct his son, not realizing there's another superhero in the family to rescue the boy. Ace's adventures are inset as comic-book panels, while Energy Angel (a.k.a. Mom) is shown saving the day in full-page scenes narrated with uneven verse.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)