The Adventures of Sparrowboy

The Adventures of Sparrowboy

Written and Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
****
Ages 6-9

In "The Adventures of Sparrowboy", Henry a normal boy with a newspaper route is upset about the what he reads in the news and looks to his favorite superhero Flaconman  advice.  Soon after he encounters a sparrow and gains the ability to fly just like Falconman.  Henry goes around town using his new found power to help others and fight trouble makers.

     I have had many experiences with young male readers who enjoy reading but need the right book to keep their attention.  I am always looking for books with lots of action and people always recommend comic books but they tend to be just too complex.  "The Adventures of Sparrowboy" was a perfect action packed picture book which incorporated the elements of a comic book.  Henry shows a comic strip of his hero Falconman and the format of the rest of his story reflects this comic book theme with simple, boxed text and pictures which tell the story through action.  Pinkney's illustrations are done with scratchboard, ink and gauche which brings a lot of movement and vivid colors into the illustrations.  The story moves from one episode of injustice to another as we see Henry saving kittens from torment and children from bullies.  I found the storyline disjointed at times but this follows the comic book format of quickly moving from one event to another which serves to keep the readers interest.  I appreciated how Henry was just an average boy who uses his powers to fight everyday problems. I think children could really relate to feeling overwhelmed by the problems they see around them and Henry illustrates that you have the power change things. 
     I would use this book in my classroom to discuss comic book elements how our knowledge of these elements reflected our reading of the story.  I might also use it to introduce the topic of social issues the students are aware of and problems they see around them on a more personal level.  We could talk about how Henry helped others with his superpowers they were not extraordinary events and he could have taken action without his powers. We might discuss what kind of action we can take to help others and confront injustice in our everyday lives.  I could also take a creative writing approach tied into our knowledge of comic book elements.  I personally did this with my child study student and it really uninhibited him in his writing.  First we made a list of what we knew about comic books and what makes someone a superhero.  Then he created his own superhero by writing about his powers, weaknesses and everyday life.