Dex: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner

About the book: Dexter is a little dog. So little, in fact, that the neighborhood cats are bigger than he is. But being little doesn’t stop Dex from have big dreams – he wants to be a superhero. So he studies, builds his muscles, and even orders a special suit. His hard work pays off in unexpected ways, as Dex finds out that even if you are very little, you really can be a hero.

Reading Level:Ages 4-8 Hardcover:32 pages
ISBN-10: 0066236207 ISBN-13:978-0066236209
Publisher: HarperCollins (February 3, 2004)

First line: Dexter was a little dog. His legs were little, his tail was little, his body was little. He looked like a plump sausage sitting on four little meatballs.

My thoughts: This little book was just wonderful. I loved following Dexter as he followed and worked for his dream which was to become a hero. His plan of action was to study and learn as much as he could about heroes. The next part of the plan was to exercise his body so as to be strong. He continues through the heard work and the teasing from his friends. Without being preachy and with lots of fun and laugh out loud moments, it shows how anyone can be a hero. The illustrations, by the author's husbane Mark, were perfect, colorful and engaging. They contained a playful bonus,hidden images of animals. The captions with the pictures followed Dex's thoughts throughout the story. The kids loved this one as much as I did!

Rating:



Quote:"But WANTING and BEING are two different things. Dex lived on dreams until one day, after crawling out from under Cleevis yet again, he decided there had to be more to life than gazing at the underside of a cat. There had to be more to him. If he could be a hero, he would!"

Links:
Buehner Books
Amazon
Author Interview