cover image Super Fly: The World's Smallest Superhero!

Super Fly: The World's Smallest Superhero!

Todd H. Doodler. Bloomsbury, $6.99 trade paper (128p) ISBN 978-1-61963-378-0

Bullied kids may sometimes think of their tormentors as giant cockroaches, but for fourth-grade fly Eugene McFly, it's literally the case: Cornelius Cockroach is making his life miserable at Brown Barge Elementary, "which was a brown barge floating in a broken toilet in the center of town." (Hmm.) With alliteration, insect puns, and gross-out gags aplenty, Doodler follows Eugene's misadventures as one of his inventions, the power-amplifying Ultimo 6-9000 (which is cunningly disguised as a piece of key lime pie), turns Cornelius into a supervillain, requiring Eugene and his friend Fred to assume the superheroic roles of Super Fly and his sidekick, Fantastic Flea. Doodler's cartoon illustrations add to the madcap action of a story that sets the stage for future exploits. Ages 5%E2%80%937. Agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May)