Isaac explains why he wears a mask and cape and sometimes has special needs. Packaged between rainbow-striped endpapers, this purposeful monologue offers a mix of positive takes"I've got special superpowers that make me slightly different from my brother and the other kids at school"and coping strategies. Among these latter are looking at foreheads rather than directly at eyes, which makes him "feel scared," and keeping personal comments "inside my head so that I don't upset people." In the big, simple illustrations, Walsh gives Isaac uniformly smiling pets and peers for company, and she shows him less than cheerful only once, when the buzzing of fluorescent lights "makes my ears really hurt." At the end he explains that he has Asperger's, "which is a kind of autism," and closes by affirming that his brother understands him, "and now you do too!" That may be overstating the case, but Isaac comes off as less inscrutable than the children in Gail Watts' Kevin Thinks (2012) or Davene Fahy and Carol Inouye's Anthony Best (2013). That the book is aimed not at children on the spectrum but at their peers is made explicit in a jacket-flap note from the author, whose son has Asperger's. While simplistic, it's a serviceable starter for discussions of spectrum disorders with younger neurotypical audiences. (URL list) (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Because of his superhero brain, Isaac is different from other kids in some pretty cool ways. He knows all sorts of facts, he's full of bouncy energy, he talks to his pets and they listen, and he's really observant. But sometimes his superhero brain makes things hard. Isaac says whatever comes into his head, takes jokes literally, and is afraid of direct eye contact. All these things together mean that Isaac has Asperger Syndrome. This picture book is an affirming mirror for children with Asperger's and an empathetic window for those who don't but should understand why other kids are sometimes different. Told in the first person from Isaac's perspective, the narrative is appropriately direct, utilizing clear, no-frills sentences: Because I'm a superhero, I have lots of things to think about. Similarly, the illustrations are simple in form and color, depicting smiling faces and only the most essential details. The effect is informative and endearing. Pair with Todd Parr's It's Okay to Be Different (2001).--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2016 Booklist