Super Magic Boy: I Am a Space Tiger:

by Jarod Roselló

Zip, zap, and zoom through space with Hugo and his best friend Dino on their adventure to find the best mom present ever! An out-of-this-world graphic novel chapter book series filled to the brim with friendship and zany adventures!Oh no! Today is Mami's birthday and Hugo forgot to get her a present! Don't worry, with Hugo's imagination, and some help from Dino, they figure out that the best place to find a gift for the best mom in the OUTER SPACE! When they land on the planet of Space Tigers, Hugo is excited to get help from his new alien friends! But it sounds like the Space Tigers have their own problems that need to be solved. Don't worry! Hugo can turn into a Space Tiger and help his new friends out...and hopefully find the best present ever along the way!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics, Juvenile

112 pages, Hardcover

Published December 17, 2024

About the author

Jarod Roselló is a Cuban American writer, cartoonist, and teacher. He is the author of the award-winning middle-grade graphic novel series Red Panda & Moon Bear, and the early reader graphic novel series, Super Magic Boy, from Random House Graphic.

His debut graphic novel, The Well-Dressed Bear Will (Never) be Found, was a 2015 Honorable Mention in the Publishers Weekly Graphic Novel Critics Poll, and his chapbook, The Star, was the winner of the 2015 Epiphany Magazine chapbook contest for graphic literature.

His short comics and fiction have been published in PEN America, Hayden's Ferry Review, Sonora Review, Hobart, The Rumpus, The Collagist, and Barrelhouse. His arts-based and educational research has been published in Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Bank Street Occasional Papers, and International Review of Qualitative Research.

Jarod holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction, both from The Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Miami, he now lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, kids, and dogs, and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of South Florida.

Reviews

[Jarod Roselló · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry, grownups, this book is not for you! Perfect for kids who love Dog Man or Spongebob Squarepants!

Hugo and his dinosaur best friend, Dino, head to space to find his mom the best birthday present, but when they crash land on a strange planet, they take a brief detour to help save a race of space tigers from extinction!

85-page main story, 25-page backup short story, and some fun bonus material.

Color-coded word balloons with limited text and highly-expressive characters makes this a great book for new readers or kids who feel like reading for fun!

[Olivia]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/super-...

I AM A SPACE TIGER is a delightful early graphic novel imagination adventure. It is Super Magic Boy's Mami's birthday, and he knows the perfect present to get her - weird rocks. Dino and he will just need to go into outer space to find one. Once they travel to outer space, they crash land on a planet with lots of cool rocks - and a call for help to find their power stone. Hugo changes into a Space Tiger to help him on their quest. Can they follow the clues to find the power stone and find something for Mami's birthday in time?

What I loved: This was an overall cute story with plenty of imagination. There are some sweet themes around gift-giving, helping others, and solving mysteries that work well for the intended audience. With a heaping dose of personality and imagination, this is sure to charm early elementary school readers.

The book itself is really designed for early independent readers. The graphic novel panels are large and easy to follow. The text is limited, and when used, it is large, easy to read, and easy to attribute (with colors for the speech bubbles of different characters). The word choice is relatively simple and repetitive, which helps readers to gain confidence. The illustrations also tell the story to help with context clues.

Final verdict: I AM A SPACE TIGER is an engaging early graphic novel with plenty of imagination, adventure, and a mystery. Recommend for early elementary school readers gaining independence.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Paige V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from my little sister, Laly:
Today is Mami's birthday, and for her special day, Hugo and Dino want to give her some unique rocks. But where can they find these unusual rocks? In outer space, of course! When they arrive on a distant planet, they encounter a space tiger in need of help. The tiger's magic power stone has gone missing, and without it, their planet is losing power! Hugo, who can transform into a space tiger, and his friend Dino must decipher clues to find the missing magic power stone.

This book was both hilarious and charming, offering a delightful blend of humor and whimsy. Regardless of the reading level below, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I particularly appreciated how Dino navigates a world filled with unknowns, as his lack of understanding mirrors that of young readers who may be encountering new concepts for the first time. This approach allows children to discover new meanings and ideas alongside him, fostering a sense of exploration and curiosity.

The illustrations were not only cute but also vibrant and well-detailed, perfectly complementing the story's playful nature. The overarching theme of a space mystery added an intriguing layer to the narrative, sparking the imagination in delightful ways.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to young children with vivid imaginations. It invites them on an enchanting adventure filled with laughter and discovery.

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚
Thank you, @netgalley @rhkidsgraphic for the complimentary ARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugo and his best friend Dino are about to have an adventure that is out of this world. They are on a mission to find Mami the best birthday present ever. A weird rock! Mami loves weird rocks, and outer space is full of weird rocks! So off they go. And along the way, they meet a real authentic space tiger!

I read this one with my seven-year-old and he loved it. We took turns voicing the different characters and pointing out the silliest parts of each panel. We received this advanced reader copy and so read it on our tablet, but would also very much enjoy coming back to Hugo and Dino’s adventures in physical books if the artwork remains so vibrant and unique. My son’s favorite part was the sound effects panels when Dino is driving recklessly through space, before and after they land on the planet that is Space Tiger’s home.

This book can be read as a standalone but after reading it and looking into the author, I realized there are multiple Super Magic Boy adventures. My kid and I will be reading the others soon because this one was a cute, funny quick read that we both enjoyed.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
The second book in Rosello's series builds from the first and offers readers a chance to come along for more adventures. This one begins because Hugo does not have a gift for his mom on her birthday. Hugo tells Dino she likes "weird rocks" and they set off for outer space to get some. One crash landing later, they meet Space Tiger and help him save their planet. Space Tiger then helps them get back to Earth with a birthday gift in hand. The story ends with Space Tiger visiting Hugo on Earth.
Amusing adventures with plenty of ridiculous action to hold lower elementary students interest. The pictures are simply drawn but capture the story well.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book in the Super Magic Boy series, Hugo and Dino embark on a quest to find a weird rock to give to Mama for her birthday. This leads them to a wild trip to outer space, where they encounter a Space Tiger who needs help finding a missing power stone that will save his planet. Hugo and Dino follow the clues to find the missing stone before returning to Earth with a present for mama in tow. Vibrant artwork accompanies action, adventure, and zany humor that will appeal to young readers, especially those just getting started reading chapter books and graphic novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

eBook ARC through NetGalley-
I love the color coded speech bubbles, the characters are cute, colorful and fun. That being said this is not a book I would purchase for my school. The characters embark on an adventure into space and are met with a mystery. The reader is not given a fair a chance to solve the mystery when 3 random clues are left and the mystery is solved another character say "HEY It's me!" Chapter one: someone is having a birthday we need a present. Chapter two: Search for present Chapter 3: Nothing to do with birthday or present.

[Sabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Am A Space Tiger is about a boy who realizes it’s his mom’s birthday. Wanting to get her a present, he travels to another planet with his dinosaur. He finds a mystery awaiting though and transforms into a space tiger to solve the mystery and find a present.

My kids enjoyed this book and the illustrations and classified it as “pretty good”. The ending felt rushed and confusing, almost as if it was a different story that didn’t fully connect.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable!! I picked it up to read with my 3rd grader, who is not a big reader but will do books with cats in it. Oh man, I think we have read this book 4 times in the past week so far. She just laughs out loud at so many parts throughout the story, I am hoping to get more in the series and get her hooked. I feel this was a great book for those who are iffy readers, someone who just wants a fun read, and just family fun.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story! I also really liked how the book told you what age range this book is appropriate for.

Things I did not understand: the clues were not relevant to the mission (lol)

Thank you to NetGalley, Jarod Rosello, and Random House Children's | Random House Graphic for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

[Stephanie Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute graphic novel and the illustrations and story were super fun. Hugo just wants to get a present for his mami’s birthday and he has to go to space to get it. This is perfect for young readers and kids who love cats.

Thanks to Random House Graphic and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous and fun and clearly straight out of the imagination of an elementary aged boy (or an adult who has luckily never grown out of having the imagination of a little boy!) I got an advanced e-copy from NetGalley and I can't wait for it to be published for real so my 7-year-old can enjoy it :-)

[Kim Stuckmeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and imaginative young reader graphic novel! I would recommend for my K-2 students!

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hugo travels to the moon to bring back weird space rocks for Mami's Birthday.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute graphic novel is aimed at 6-8 year olds. The simple vocabulary and color coded speech bubbles are ideal for young readers. The simplistic drawings resemble a child's artr work and designed to appeal to youngsters. Unfortunately the story is disjointed. The three chapters have different stories that are loosely connected.As an adult who loves picture books and graphics, I was underwhelmed. However, many other reviewers who have shared this book with kids say that the youngsters loved it.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This silly series is going to definitely be a favorite of so many young readers! Perfect for fans of Mo Willems’s Unlimited Squirrel series, Ben Clanton’s Tater Tales, and other silly long-form picture books!