Atlas

Gr 5 Up—Atlas is a typical square-jawed superhero; in fact, he's pretty angular and blocky all over. His other primary characteristics are that he's always hungry and that he's kind of a dim bulb. As the story begins, his long-suffering partner, Wonder Boy, has to drag him away from yet another Chicago-style hot dog to fight some villains who are threatening the city. Atlas and Wonder Boy fight a number of quirky characters, like a strange little man who calls himself The Glutton and a deadly robot who spends much of his existence waiting for his self-destruct mechanism to go off. The references to other Greek gods are scattered intermittently through flashbacks. Even Atlas confesses his ignorance of mythological history, so this book definitely uses mythology as a background element rather than a teaching tool. The artwork is well suited to this witty story. The images are eye-catching and filled with life and humor. One minor criticism would be of the cover art showing Atlas sailing over the heads of the other Greek gods instead of some of the characters who played major roles in the story—like Wonder Boy, The Glutton, or the giant indestructible metal carrot. Atlas will have crossover appeal to older kids and teens, and even adults will find the humor in this book entertaining.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library