Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Happy Book Birthday, Super Manny Stands Up! by Kelly DiPucchio


SUPER MANNY STANDS UP!
by Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
 Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Picture Book
ages 4 to 8
40 pages


Emma Ledbetter at S&S/Atheneum has acquired Kelly DiPucchio's (l.) Super Manny! and an untitled sequel, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, two picture books starring a brave raccoon named Manny. In the first book, Manny's superhero games at home give him unexpected strength at school, where he puts on his invisible cape to stand up to a bully. Publication is planned for summer 2017, with the second to follow in summer 2018. Steven Malk of Writers House represented author and illustrator in the deal for world rights.



 MY TIDBITS

This story packs super imagination together with real hero attitude in a tale that empowers kids to become heroes themselves.

Manny might seem like an everyday raccoon, but his collection of super capes leads him to heroic adventures where the imagination knows no bounds. He defeats every foe until the toughest one of all shows up in the lunchroom at school, and Manny has to dig deep to find his superhero pride.

A child's super talent is the imagination, and this book lets that talent soar. Manny is a cute raccoon whose readiness to take on every foe is contagious. Every adventure requires a different color of super cape--something kids are sure to want to imitate. The action unfolds with only a few lines of text on every spread to set the scene. The rest is in the illustrations, and these tell tales all on their own.

The pictures are done with loving care. There are details peppered in to make each glance through the pages a new experience. Although Manny goes up against the most amazing opponents, these aren't true battle scenes. Rather, the illustrations offer a mixture of action, empowerment, tenderness and plain, simple fun, making this a read perfect for young listeners.

All of the power, might and determination to do the right thing come together for a real life, heroic moment at the end. This one moment and the hesitation Manny shows, make it clear how hard it is to show true heroic strength, but it's the closing message that makes this really hit home. This story is sure to bring the super hero inside young listeners to life and have the reading Manny's tale over and over again.


And here they are. . .

The Author. . .

Kelly DiPucchio is the award winning and New York Times bestselling author of Grace for President and numerous other books for kids, including the Crafty Chloe books Crafty Chloe and Dress-Up Mess-Up, as well as Zombie in Love, Zombie in Love 2 + 1, and Gaston. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan, and you can visit her at Kelly DiPucchio.com.


The Illustrator. . .

Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including Winter in the Park by Emily Jenkins; Happy Birthday, Bunny! by Liz Garton Scanlon; and Peace is an Offering by Annette Le box. She earned her BfA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in printmaking from Pratt Institute, and she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her at Graegin.com.



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