I want to be a Superhero by Breanna Humes
Illus. by Ambelin Kwaymullina. Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781925360400.
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Breanna wants to be a superhero. A special,
flying superhero. 'Can you wish on a shooting star to become a
superhero?', she asks Mum. Mum says 'no'. She asks her Karbali the
same question. 'No' says Karbali. But when she asks Pop, he says
'You never know unless you try'. Pop takes them out looking for a
shooting star. They see lots of stars twinkling in the Milky Way and
then suddenly, a shooting star! Breanna quickly makes her wish: 'I
want to be a superhero.' But nothing happens. Karbali tells her she
can be a superhero doctor, or lawyer or engineer or vet if she goes
to school everyday and studies hard. Breanna still wants to fly
though, and we see that she has drawn herself in all of those roles
. . . with the addition of a cape!
The young author, Breanna, wrote this story when she was just eight
years old and this shows; there is a beautiful innocence and
simplicity to the story and it has a fantastic realism to it.
Kwaymullina's colourful illustrations are fantastic as always,
containing distinctly Indigenous elements but with a contemporary
edge. This is a story for all children who dream of both the
possible and the impossible and for the adults who encourage both
their crazy and their not so crazy dreams. It also contains an
important message about sticking to school, working hard and
becoming a person that you can be proud of.
As an aside and one that should definitely be pointed out to young
listeners, Breanna achieved both her the academic dreams of her
Karbali (she is studying Environment Sciences) and her flying
superhero dreams (she spent five years in the Air Force Cadets).
Themes: Superheroes, Dreams, Education.
Nicole Nelson