Review: Sidekicks by Dan Santat

Sidekicks by Dan Santat

Release Date: July 1st 2011
Publisher:  Arthur A. Levine Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 217
Genre: Middle Grade – Graphic Novel, Adventure
Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

INTRODUCING: METAL MUTT! STATIC CAT! AND... FLUFFY!?!

Captain Amazing, hero of Metro City, is so busy catching criminals that he rarely has time for his pets at home. He doesn't even notice when they develop superpowers of their own.

So when he announces that he needs a sidekick, his dog, hamster, and chameleon each decide to audition. But with each pet determined to win the sidekick position, the biggest battle in Metro City might just be at the Captain's house.

Then archvillain Dr. Havoc returns to town, and suddenly the Captain's in serious trouble. Can the warring pets put their squabbles aside? Or is it curtains for the Captain?

It's stay, sit, and save the world in this romp of a graphic novel!

Sidekicks is a graphic novel written for middle grade children. I found this at my library a while back and finally decided to pick it up. I mainly borrowed this so I would have something quick and easy to read for the Bout of Books read-a-thon. This was definitely a quick and easy read and I actually quite enjoyed it.

Captain Amazing is a great hero to Metro City but it’s his pets that have to sit at home by themselves and watch his heroic acts on the news. He has quite a few animals also. Roscoe the dog, Fluffy the hamster, and a new pet Shifty the chameleon. He is so busy that he doesn’t really realize that his pets have super powers of their own.

When a peanut allergy causes Captain Amazing to take a break and decide that he may be getting to old to do this by himself, he decides to take on a sidekick. It is suggested to use a pet of his but he doesn’t want to travel down that road again. He had already lost one pet that way. His pets overhear this and start their own competition to become his sidekick without him knowing. When Manny, the long lost cat that once was Captain Amazing’s sidekick, comes out of nowhere and is spotted by Fluffy, they all team up to save the city from Dr. Havoc. Captain Amazing learns a lesson and so do all the other pets.

This was a full color graphic novel with lots of action. I would recommend this to any age but Middle grade children would really enjoy this. For an extra little bonus, read the about the author, “Sidekick Application” at the end of the book. It is pretty funny.  I look forward to reading more of Dan Santat’s work.

My Rating: