ZAP!
Will the events of one afternoon change Henry's life forever?
After an encounter with a sparrow, Henry finds he is able to fly just like his favorite comic book hero HawkMan.
Pinkney (Max Found Two Sticks, 1994, etc.) finds trouble on sleepy Thurber Street when a bully named Bruno and his dog, Wolf, stir up the neighborhood. Enter Henry, the local newspaper delivery boy, and something of a junior Clark Kent do-gooder. Without benefit of phone booth or cape, he is zapped by a small sparrow and zooms into the air as Sparrowboy. Inspired by Falconman, a superhero from the pages of the newspapers he delivers, Sparrowboy thwarts Wolf's attack on two local boys, rescues a neighborhood cat from the torments of Bruno, and saves a mysteriously flightless sparrow from the jaws of a cat, returning home where everything feels just a little better. Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations give a nod to comic-strip art by breaking several of the spreads into storyboard panels, complete with headers and action words set into comic-style compositions. Comic book enthusiasts will find plenty of action here and feel just a little better for having curled up with this high-flying armchair adventure.
Overview
ZAP!
Will the events of one afternoon change Henry's life forever?
After an encounter with a sparrow, Henry finds he is able to fly just like his favorite comic book hero HawkMan.