Juniper Jupiter

by Lizzy Stewart

Juniper Jupiter is a real life superhero. It's no big deal. She's super brave, super fast, super strong, super smart, and she can even fly, but something is missing. What is a hero without an amazing sidekick? It turns out that lots of people want to be a superhero's sidekick, but none of them are quite right. They're too big, too scratchy, too weird, too scared, or WAY too prepared . . . will Juniper ever find the perfect one? This is a fun and feisty story about friendship and learning to value what you already have.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Superheroes, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2018

About the author

Lizzy Stewart is a British illustrator and author currently based in London. She has written and illustrated various books for children and adults. Her debut full-length illustrated novel Alison was published in 2022. She teaches illustration at Goldsmiths University and has also taught courses on behalf of the National Portrait Gallery.

Reviews

[Spencer Orey]

Fun and slightly surreal. It looked like the tryouts to be her sidekick could have gone for a long time with more wacky adventures. There are lots of little glimpses of the dog throughout, which makes for a good thing to track in additional reads.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a beautifully illustrated book throughout. The story is about a little girl who is a super hero and gets bored waiting for her super hero phone to ring so she decides to look for a sidekick. She holds auditions but everyone she sees is no good but then she realises her perfect side kick was under her nose the whole time.
This is a gorgeous book and teaches children that what they need and want is often found in someone very close to them if they take the time to stop and think about it and look from another perspective.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juniper Jupiter is a real-life superhero, but the one drawback to her incredible life is that being a hero is a lonely gig. She decides to find herself a sidekick, and stages tryouts to find her perfect second-in-command. Turns out that her helper was with her all along...

Stewart's art is vibrant and charming, and the story was fun and silly in the right amounts. This would be a great storytime book as well - the kids would definitely enjoy the sidekick tryouts.

Thank you to Quarto Kids for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but very simple story of a young girl who want to be a hero. Midly entertaining, fun at time, even a bit of a message but it lack a bit of consistence to make it reach the next level. Could have been better!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 3rd March 2020 - publication day!

I thought that this was a fun story and it had some great images
It was easy to follow and I liked the layout of the book, the flow was great too
It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended!

[Jennifer Wrage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! My grandson's new favorite. It shows diversity in the natural way and celebrates differences.

[Mathew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Juniper Jupiter is a superhero. She can fly through the air, she has tremendous strength and, showing impeccable taste, she'd choose ice-cream over broccoli any day. But being a superhero is tiring and she longs for a sidekick. Through a lengthy audition she finds that the one helper she was looking for was under her nose all along!

I love Lizzy Stewart's art. With a mix of watercolour and ink, she presents us vignettes and double-page spreads that invite us into Juniper's world. It is up to the reader to believe whether our protagonist is a real hero or a product of her fruitful imagination though - I particularly liked the audition spread with the host of hopeful participants and imagine young readers will too.

It was refreshing to read a picturebook with a person of colour in and there is a subtle allusion to the fact that Juniper lives at home with just her mum who is kind and funny and provides her daughter with the creative space to be free to imagine. I'm not sure there is much story here and Juniper did not grow and change in any way upon her reflection which was a pity. Yet, Stewart's illustrations delight and no doubt many children will be inspired by her rich imagination.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story of a child who wants a sidekick to help her fight crime, so she holds an audition.

And that is it. That is the story. At least Help Wanted, Must Love Books had funny applicants.

In this book, there is an elephant who gets rejected for being too big, and a man with a beard for, well, having too much a beard.



It is never quite clear if Juniper is actually super or not, or this is all in her imagination, but either way, she has a fun look at all the applicants just the same.

But, since that is the whole story, there isn't much more you can do with this.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juniper Juniper has lots of superhero traits like being brave, strong, smart, super-fast, and even sneaky. Oh, of course, like many superheroes, she can also fly.

But there’s a problem. Yep, even superhero’s can feel bored and lonely. And that’s what’s making Juniper so sad. So why not solve that problem? She can just advertise, interview, and chose a sidekick! But not just any sidekick. Juniper Juniper, the superhero, has a list of requirements for that special job.

After advertising, the fun begins. There is a long line of potential sidekicks waiting to be interviewed. But will Juniper locate just what she needs?

This is a simple story that kids will no doubt enjoy. The illustrations are simple and the sidekick that is chosen will surprise and delight little ones.

What Concerned Me
Though it didn’t really bother me too much, I did find it somewhat odd that Juniper Juniper always referred to her superhero skills as, No big deal. There might have been a good reason for this statement, I just didn’t pick up on it.

What I Liked Best
The choice of Juniper Juniper’s sidekick was fun and had a little message at the same time.

My thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an ARC and the ability to leave a review of my unbiased thoughts regarding this book.

More reviews at https://pickagoodbook.com

[Tim Roast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juniper Jupiter is a super-hero but sometimes "it gets so boring waiting for the super-secret-mission telephone to ring!" She needs a side-kick. She decides to hold an audition.

There are some good pictures in this book. The best picture for me was one where a winding queue outside of Juniper Jupiter's home ahead of the audition to be her side-kick with lots of random people and animals in it. Some of the images were Lowry-esque. The story is "no big deal" (to use a quote from the book), not rhyming but short and simple.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juniper Jupiter, she's a super hero, super brave, super sneaky, super strong and, she can fly!

Juniper quickly finds out that being a super hero is a lonely job. She decides she could use a side kick. She makes a list of qualities her side kick should possess and posts the notices all around town. She's not prepared for the gigantic response. It's all very confusing for her and little did she realize that the perfect side kick was right there before her eyes.

Water color and ink art work make for some bright and fun illustrations. The story is simple, yet fun and silly too.

[Jennifer Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this female super hero story! Bold, colourful illustrations with energetic sentences to keep reader engaged. Juniper Jupiter, the hero of the story feels lonely running her super hero duties alone and tries to find a side-kick for company. Entertaining read, recommended for 3-6

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just really not good. There was no moral to the story. There was no plot. There was no being a superhero. I really didn't like it. Though I read my NetGalley copy in January 2020, I won't be counting it towards my goal.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. 4yo loves it and so do I

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and simple story of looking for a sidekick to her superhero self. And finding that the one she wants is nearby all the time and friend. Makes lists, meets many people who try for the job and settles on her best friend.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just did not find a point to this book. The ending of the story was not necessary. It was just not something I would want to read to my students.

[Dontreadlikethem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juniper Jupiter is one of the cutest names I have heard for a picture character. She is a superhero that has many skills including being super sneaky. Juniper Jupiter gets lonely and a little bored so she starts the search for a sidekick. During her sidekick auditions nobody is quite right until her dog Peanut. A simple sweet story about a little superhero. Changing the usual boy superhero to a girl makes this story a little more relevant. Children ages 4 - 8 with enjoy this book.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is brave, strong, and funny.

Juniper the super hero is looking for side kick. She is a super hero doing all the super hero stuff. She realizes that she is lonely and her father gives her the ideal to look for a side kick. She puts an ad out and she discovers that there are hundreds that want to be a side kick. She knows she must pick the right one. She picks the one that has it all and together they go everywhere together.

I have a Juniper of my own and she reminds me of this spunky little girl. Any little one that has a desire to be a super hero will love reading time with this super hero duo.

A Special Thank you to Quartro Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Lizzy Stewart's There a Tiger in the Garden so it was a treat to see what Lizzy would do next.

Juniper Jupiter is a real-life superhero. She's super brave, super fast, super strong, super smart and she can even fly! But it turns out being a superhero can be pretty lonely and boring without a sidekick. In a mission to find the perfect sidekick, Juniper Jupiter uncovers the importance of friendship and learning to value what you already have in this fun and punchy picture book.

Paired with Lizzy's bold and colourful illustrations varying from double paged spreads and smaller images punctuated by white space, Juniper Jupiter is a delightful feast for the eyes!

[Kristy Thiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter really liked this book. It is quirky and really gives a good lesson that girls can be superheroes too. She spends a lot of time interviewing sidekicks and finds that her sidekick is who she does not expect.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this is a look at a child's imagination, as a young superhero decides she needs a sidekick to stop her super-heroic life from being so boring in the off hours. It's a light-hearted affair, especially when the big reveal of who she chooses is found. Or, the book is actually a tale of an actual flying, powerful young woman, and the moral is seeing through to the unexpected hero in everyone. But I think more likely is the moral-less whimsy of the regular, daydreaming girl and what she dreams of needing her companion to be – the next day it would be a first mate on a pirate ship, or an astronaut's buddy, for example. I can't say I was ever in love with the artwork, so three and a half stars.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love superhero books — and children’s lit. Such a wonderful combination! Lizzy Stewart is a creative force for reading!

[Maisie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just fell a bit flat. I like the illustrations (especially the dog) but that wasn’t enough for me.