Man of Steel: Friends and Foes cover image

Ages: 4 to 8; Grades: Preschool
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

HarperCollins Children’s Books “I Can Read Books” is a line of books designed to help children learn to read at their own pace or speed.  There are five levels:  My First (Shared Reading), 1 (Beginning Reading), 2 (Reading with Help), 3 (Reading Alone), and 4, (Advanced Reading).

Man of Steel: Friends and Foes is one of six book released by HarperFestival, a division of HarperCollins Children’s Books.  These books are tied into the new Superman movie, Man of Steel.  They are aimed at young readers – kindergarten to early elementary.

Man of Steel: Friends and Foes is a 6 x 9, 32-page, paperback children’s book.  The book works like this:  the left side of each 2-page spread has a small section of text to tell the story, and the right side has art that illustrates the primary plot or story point of the text on the left side.  Man of Steel: Friends and Foes is about the people, places, and things that make up Clark Kent/Superman’s world – from Krypton to Earth (Smallville, Metropolis) and from the Kents to Zod and company.

Like the other tie-in books, Man of Steel: Friends and Foes is part storybook and part picture book.  Thus far, I find it to be the best overview of the Man of Steel’s film story – up to the point of the big battles that fill the movie’s second act.  Man of Steel: Friends and Foes is a good companion to the movie, Man of Steel.  Best of all, it is a good way to introduce Superman to new young readers.