Superman: The Story of the Man of Steel

I pre-ordered this book months before its release date because my 4-year-old loved author-illustrator Cosentino's "Batman" book so much -- and "Superman" is equally as colorful and interesing a release.Like his "Batman," Cosentino draws on retro styles from the 1940s and '50s to illustrate "Superman"; but he also gives an occasional nod to the "Superman" movies of the 1970s and '80s. (In fact, Cosentino dedicates the book in part to George Reeves and Christopher Reeve, both of whom played "Superman" on TV and in movies.)The book introduces young readers to the Superman creation story -- Kal-El's journey from Krypton, his discovery and adoption by the Kent family, the discovery of his super powers, the creation of the Clark Kent/Superman dual identity -- in a way that young readers can comprehend and enjoy.And then there are the villains: Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Bizarro, and Metallo -- as well as the retro-looking giant robots borrowed from the Max & Dave Fleischer "Superman" animated cartoon series of the early 1940s.Of course, children won't "get" the allusions to past Superman stories, but parents will enjoy these nostalgic references -- and that's why even as an adult I prize Cosentino's work and look forward to his next treatment of a DC superhero for young children (which I've heard is to be Wonder Woman).

This Superman book for toddlers is great. I love how it gives homage to the original comic, the TV series, and even the Christopher Reeve films. My 3 year old loves it. Unfortunately things get weird when you get to the villains section, ESPECIALLY BIZARRO. You're going along...reading about the Man of Steel...the little guy is all excited...then all of the sudden you turn the page and there's a huge pic of Bizarro that looks like something out of the Walking Dead. I mean...it's downright scary. It's so bad I had to glue the Bizarro pages together because my son kept getting scared. Just doesn't make any sense. Other than that though the book is great.

Okay, then... I will. This book is SUPER.I've been a fan of Cosentino's work since  The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and the Swella Bow-Wow . He can definitely tell compelling stories to the very young and in this book he manages to introduce Superman, reveal his origins, introduce the gallery of villains that he regularly battles AND explain his raison d'être, all in just a handful of words. It's simply the best possible way for comic fans to introduce their children to one of the most beloved characters in the genre and Cosentino does it in grand style. Borrowing liberally from all of Superman's many incarnations, this book shows hints of the Fleisher cartoons, the movies from the 70's and 80's, the old serials and (of course) decades of comics. Plus, I gotta say, when you combine this with Cosentino's  Batman  you've got the beginnings of a fantastic library for the comic-nerdy-toddler in your life.

Great drawings, overall nice book but for my 2.5 year old who is getting curious about superman I thought there was a lot of focus on fighting in the book. I’ve decided to hold onto the book for when he’s older. Would have preferred more emphasis on Superman’s helpful side.

Bought this book because my four-year old nephew wanted to learn more about superheroes and their origins. The book is a perfect picture book approach. The only one warning is for very young children who might be easily frightened - there's one illustration of a superman villain in particular that I thought might be scary. The nephew didn't have a problem with it (and he sometimes can be alarmed by certain visuals). So all was good and in fact my sister-in-law liked the series so much, she went out and the other superhero stories.

As a huge Superman fan I have to say my only complaint is that this wasn't made years ago so I could have read it to all my kids. My 7 year old daughter loved this and I wish I had this to read to my 2 boys when they were little. I have purchased 3 copies (one for each of my children) to put away for the day when I have grandchildren. It's simply a beautiful book that does a great job introducing Superman in a classic, colorful way that has great appeal for children. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors are spectacular. You'll have fun reading this to your little ones.

We bought the first book by this author - the Batman book, for our 2 year old, and he loved it SO much, we purchased this one for his 3rd birthday. It follows the same layout and "story", has great pictures with lots of colour, and is layed out similar to that of a comic. You can see our son walking around with these or sitting on the couch looking at all the pictures, or our 5 year old, pretending to read it out loud to his brother, as he's heard it so many times he has it memorized.Love these books!

This is a perfect "beginner" book for little ones who have just discovered super heroes. It explains Superman's origin and introduces his villains very simply without a lot of words or detail. My grandson, who is just shy of 3, carried it around constantly and had it memorized in days. His mom got him the Batman one too and its a similar format. Highly recommended.

Bought as an easter present for my nephew - along with a few other books - he loved the book.

Ok book basic

My son was really happy with the book

Perfect for my 4 year old nephew, he loves the easy to understand text and comic style pictures. Would recommend it for anyone wanting the complete story of their superhero for younger kids.