Changes

At first glance , it might appear that there is little substance to this story. However, after having read it a few times with my three -year -old daughter I have come to realise that ''I Could be a Superhero'' is a very good book to share with young children particularly as it is likely to prompt a great deal of discussion.

In the story , we meet a dog called Murphy and his little girl owner. The story forms a dialogue between the two in which Murphy wonders what he will be when he grows up and he comes up with some fantastic ideas such as to become an astronaut, a tightrope walker or even a superhero. His owner is always encouraging and agrees that it's very likely that he could be any of these particularly bearing in mind what he is good at now. We liked it when Murphy suggests that he could be a magician and she agrees as he is very good at disappearing at bath time now! At the end , there is a lovely message when she says to Murphy that: ''You could always be my marvellous DOG Murphy and no one else in the world can be you.'' I think this gives a very important message to young children that it does not matter what they grow up to be because they will always be unique.

The pictures are quite simple although on closer examination they do provide a bit of a sub textsubtext. This is because they show what each of the characters are is thinking in turn. A good example of this is when Murphy decides he might be a teacher and pictures rows of canines sitting alertly as he points out important facts on his flip chart. The little girl agrees that he could teach everything he knows but she is visualising the time that he messed up all the dustbins when scavenging for food. My daughter seems to enjoy this subtle humour. She also finds it funny that it is a dog worrying about his future.

If this book appeals to your child, they might also enjoy [[If I Were You by Richard Hamilton]]. Older children might appreciate [[Elise and the Second-hand Dog by Bjarne Reuter and Kirsten Raagaard]].