Aaron Reynolds, author. Andy Rash, illustrator.                Bloomsbury, 2009

Behold another favourite picture book of my precocious five year-old. She loves the illustrations of the monsters attacking the city outside the classroom window and the numerous comic-like characters. But more so, she wants to show anyone within earshot that she understands math beyond the counting and patterning she is doing in kindergarten (i.e. she likes to show off). The math in this book is cleverly disguised as a special mission for Leonard and the other students at superhero school. The math lessons that have been forced upon them suddenly become useful when ice zombies kidnap the teachers. To save them, the students must calculate the heat vision needed to blast through the fifteen foot ice wall, divvy up the ice zombies between them in order to attack, and more! When Mr. Tornado gives everyone an A+ on the math quiz, Leonard realizes he’s been duped. SUPERHERO SCHOOL runs a bit on the long side at 833 words, but is an energetic and entertaining read. There are even a few lines written in for adult entertainment. This picture book will inspire parents and educators to stealthily integrate math into the lives of their own budding superheroes, cooks, artists, athletes and ninjas.