Superheroes In The Park
Ian Eagleton and Hayley Wells
Otter-Barry Books

Ian Eagleton and his husband have recently become dads through adoption and Ian has based this text on their experiences of parenting a toddler. Thus, at the heart of the story is an ordinary gay family that we meet as the child narrator, his Dad and Daddy head to the park, the child super excited at the prospect of the playground. When they arrive they discover the path leading to the equipment is covered with ice. For the child this is an opportunity for some fun but the anxious parents see potential danger everywhere and this leads to the child stomping off in tears. Dad and Daddy follow and apologise, Dad whispering, “We’re sorry” and Daddy saying, “This is new for us … For all of us.” How beautifully the emotional outburst and the handling of it are captured in both words and pictures.

The young child’s sheer frustration though, leads to a wonderful idea – imaginative play that is enjoyed by all three who become pirates fighting scary monsters,

cross a swampy area of rainforest with crocodiles snapping at their feet, morph into zooming superheroes and even become dinosaurs. Reality returns with a visit to the park cafe where they sit snuggled together for hot chocolate.

Hayley Wells’ scenes of the day’s events capture the warmth, love and trust there is between the family members and are a wonderful complement for the text Altogether a must have book not only for youngsters who grow up in LGBTQIA homes but all children and their parents/carers at home and in a KS1 classroom.